Tortellini Bake (Ground Beef, No Boil)

This cheesy baked tortellini with ground beef, spinach, and marinara is an easy weeknight dinner with no boiling needed. Just layer and bake!

Course dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American, Italian, Mediterranean

Keyword baked, comfort food, easy, ground beef, pasta, tortellini baked pasta

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 40

Servings servings

Calories 494

Preheat oven to 375F.
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add olive oil, and the beef, sprinkling with salt and garlic powder. Break into small pieces and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Drain any excess fat if desired. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Spray a high-sided 9x13 baking dish with olive oil spray. Add the tortellini, half the marinara (about 1 ½ cups) and ¼ cup water, tossing so that the tortellini is equally covered in sauce, then spread into an even layer.
Sprinkle over the spinach in a layer, then carefully add the cooked beef in another layer.
Evenly spread over the remaining marinara (about 1 ½ cups), then sprinkle evenly with cheese.
Cover tightly with foil. Bake for 30-40 minutes covered or until browned, bubbling, and the tortellini is cooked to your liking. Optional, uncover and bake or broil for 5 minutes until browned on top.

I tested this recipe using 2 (10-oz) packages of Trader Joe’s fresh cheese tortellini as well as 1 (24-oz) Costco 4-cheese fresh tortellini. The recipe worked with both, so regardless of brand you want somewhere between 20- and 24-oz fresh tortellini, or about 2 heaping cups.
This recipe was tested using fresh tortellini, not dry. If using dry, you’ll need to boil first according to package directions, then prepare as instructed.
In testing I preferred layering the tortellini vs. mixing everything, as I found the tortellini cooked best when covered with sauce on the bottom and covered with other ingredients while baking.