Can I use bagged pre-shredded cheese for this recipe?

For the mozzarella topping on the casserole, yes. For the parmesan cheese in the Alfredo Sauce, no. It doesn't melt as well and you won't get the correct texture for Alfredo Sauce.

Can I prep this casserole ahead?

Yes, but just a warning, the Alfredo sauce will separate a bit. It gets pretty oily from the butter, but it still tastes amazing! If you want the Alfredo sauce white and saucy, serve it fresh.

How to Store Leftovers?

Store the leftovers in the casserole dish covered with plastic wrap or a better option would be in a sealed container. Keep it in the fridge and eat within 3 days.

Reheating Casserole Directions:

To reheat, simply place the pasta in an oven safe dish and bake for 10-15 minutes in a 350 degree oven. For microwaving, cook in a microwave safe dish 1 minute at a time until hot, stirring in between minutes. The sauce will be more like butter when reheating, but it is still really delicious.

Baked Tortellini Alfredo Casserole

Name: Baked Tortellini Alfredo Casserole
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1/2 cup yellow onion, diced; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 16 ounce package ground Italian Sausage, mild or sweet (or 4-5 sausage links, casings removed); 2 garlic cloves, minced; 2 ounces of baby spinach; 20 ounces of packaged cheese tortellini; 4 tablespoons salted butter; 1 cup heavy cream; 1 and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, shredded fine + additional 1/4 cup for topping; 8 ounces of mozzarella cheese, shredded; 1 teaspoon fresh parsley, minced

Description

This Baked Tortellini Alfredo Casserole recipe is cheesy, delicious and full of flavor with spinach and sausage. This is the definition of comfort food and so easy to make..ready in less than an hour!

Ingredients

Scale

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
1/2 teaspoon salt
16 ounce package ground Italian Sausage, mild or sweet (or 4-5 sausage links, casings removed)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 ounces of baby spinach
20 ounces of packaged cheese tortellini
4 tablespoons salted butter
1 cup heavy cream
1 and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, shredded fine + additional 1/4 cup for topping
8 ounces of mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 teaspoon fresh parsley, minced

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Instructions

Heat a dutch oven or large pot to medium heat on the stovetop. Add in olive oil and allow it to heat up. Toss in the onion and salt and cook for 2 minutes. Stir and add in the Italian sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon and cooking until no longer pink.
Toss in the garlic and spinach and stir to combine. Cover the pot with lid and cook for 2 minutes. Stir well and turn off the heat. Set aside. Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the tortellini and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
While the water is coming to a boil for the pasta, prepare a large skillet for the alfredo sauce. Heat to medium low. Add the butter and allow it to melt and begin to sizzle, but not brown. Pour in the heavy cream and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent boiling. If it starts to boil, turn down the heat to low.
Once the water is boiling rapidly, add in the tortellini and boil for 3 minutes, stirring half way through. Then, strain and set aside.
Reduce the heat to low for the Alfredo Sauce and pour in the parmesan cheese. Stir to combine and thicken. Allow the sauce to become thick enough to when you stir, you can see the bottom of the skillet for a moment.
Add the tortellini to a casserole dish. Add the sausage mixture, using a slotted spoon to avoid grease in the casserole. Pour over the Alfredo Sauce. Note: If you made double the sauce, save half in the pan for serving and keep on low, stirring often. Toss to combine ingredients.
Cover with tortellini alfredo with mozzarella cheese, additional parmesan and parsley. Bake for 10 minutes. Optional: broil on high for an extra 3-5 minutes for a crispy top.
Allow the casserole to cool for 5-10 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Equipment

casserole dish

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dutch oven

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Enameled Skillet

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Notes

You only need to boil the tortellini for 3 minutes because it will continue to cook while baking.
Make sure to cook the Italian sausage until no longer pink in the dutch oven or pot, because it isn't going to bake for a long period of time in the oven.
The Parmesan Cheese needs to be shredded fine from a block to get the best texture and thickness for Alfredo sauce.
Don't over bake the tortellini casserole because the alfredo sauce will start to absorb into the pasta.
If you are really big on the Alfredo Sauce, double the Alfredo Sauce ingredients of butter, heavy cream and parmesan and save half of it for serving.

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Category: Dinner
Method: Baked
Cuisine: American