The Easiest TJ’s Tortellini Bake
I love this recipe for two reasons: my kids love pasta, and it requires very little prep work. Everything comes together quickly, it’s easy to customize, and it makes a great weeknight dinner.
This is how I make it, but adjust the ingredients and amounts based on what your family likes!
Serves: 6
Prep time: 15 minutes
Bake time: 15–20 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 package Trader Joe’s Spinach Tortellini
- 1 package Trader Joe’s Cheese Tortellini
- 1 package Trader Joe’s Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage
- 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- 2 generous cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
- ½–¾ cup basil pesto
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- Olive oil, if needed
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a large baking dish.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the tortellini and blanch for about 2 minutes. You don’t want to cook it completely—just soften it slightly and add a little moisture before baking. Drain well.
- Slice the chicken sausage into bite-sized rounds. I prefer to brown it in a skillet with a little olive oil for extra color and flavor, but you can skip this step since the sausage is already cooked.
- Add the tortellini, sausage, tomatoes and chopped spinach to the baking dish. Spoon the pesto over everything, season with salt and pepper, and gently toss until evenly coated.
- Spread the mixture evenly in the dish and top generously with Parmesan cheese.
- Bake for 15–20 minutes, or until the tortellini is tender, the tomatoes have softened and the cheese is melted.
- Turn the oven to broil for 1–3 minutes to give the cheese a little golden color. Watch it closely so it doesn’t burn.
Serve warm—and don’t be afraid to make it your own! Add extra vegetables, use a different chicken sausage or switch up the tortellini based on what your family loves.
