Cheesy Beef Tortellini is an easy meal that brings comfort food to the table using ground beef, cheese tortellini, and creamy marinara sauce!
Serve this dish up as is, or take it a step further by pairing it with a fresh, crisp garden salad with a side of 4-ingredient Mayonnaise Biscuits or Garlic Knots that are made with pizza dough!
Slide a dinner your family will love onto the table in just 30 minutes by making this Cheesy Beef Tortellini! A quick and easy meal that takes just 5 minutes to prep is a winner any night of the week!
This beef tortellini recipe uses minimal ingredients to create a dish your family will devour! The best part is that you don’t have to spend a ton of time making it, giving you more time back into your weeknights!
All About These Easy Beef Tortellini
Taste: The saucy base of this dish is made by combining marinara sauce with cream cheese. Making for a slightly tangy tomato sauce foundation that holds the cheesy tortellini and seasoned ground beef. It kind of tastes like a gourmet Chef Boyardee.
Texture: This beef tortellini has an endless amount of delicious texture! From the tender noodles filled with a creamy cheese filling to bits of ground beef that altogether lay in the velvety smooth sauce that’s topped with melty cheese!
What Is Cheese Tortellini?
Cheese Tortellini is a ring-shaped, fresh pasta that’s stuffed with a creamy cheese filling. Typically, the cheese filling consists of ricotta, parmesan, and Romano.
However, there are many different fillings out there! There are tortellini stuffed with spinach, meat, and even five different types of cheese!
If you’ve never purchased tortellini before, you’ll find it in the refrigerated section or frozen food aisle. I opted to use three cheese tortellini in this recipe and found that it paired wonderfully with the cream cheese marinara sauce.
Kitchen Tips When Making Beef Tortellini
- Strain The Tortellini – Once the tortellini has finished cooking, allow it to sit in the strainer for a few extra minutes. This will give the pasta a little extra time for the water to drain from it completely. Doing so will prevent a watered-down cheesy sauce!
- Drain Excess Grease – Depending on the fat ratio of your ground beef, you will need to drain it once it’s cooked. The leaner the meat, the less likely you are to have much fat to drain off. Though that liquid fat can add flavor, too much of it can alter the final taste and texture of the dish.
- Sneak In Veggies – You can easily sneak veggies into this meal! To do so, shred or dice up some zucchini or carrots and mix them in when the seasonings are added to the ground beef.
- Baking – For the last 10 minutes of this recipe, the Beef Tortellini is baked in the oven. Be sure your skillet is oven friendly before taking this step! If not, transfer the tortellini into a 9X9 baking dish that’s been lightly sprayed with cooking spray.
A delicious pasta dish like this is always one of my go-to meals during the week! This is because they’re quick and easy to make while filling bellies without a complaint!
For another pasta dish made with ground beef, check out my One-Pot Taco Mac and Cheese! It’s also made in 30 minutes while guaranteeing to be as big of a family favorite as this Beef Tortellini is!
And then there’s the famous UNO copycat recipe for Rattlesnake Pasta! Perfect for when we want a taste of restaurant food without needing to leave the house!
Storage Instructions For Beef Tortellini
Transfer cooled leftovers into an airtight container and store them in the fridge. Enjoy them for up to 3 to 4 days!
When Draining The Grease From The Beef, Do I Just Dump It Down The Drain?
No, we actually push all the ground meat to one side and gently tilt the pan so the grease suns to the other side. Then we soak it up with paper towels and toss them in the trash.
Can I Use Ground Turkey In This Recipe Instead Of Ground Beef?
Yes, just be sure to use one pound of ground turkey in place of the ground beef.
Cheesy Beef Tortellini
INGREDIENTS
- 15 ounces cheese tortellini you can use up to 20 ounces
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional
- 24 ounces marinara sauce
- 8 ounces cream cheese cubed
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
INSTRUCTIONS
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the tortellini according to package directions.15 ounces cheese tortellini
- In a large skillet, cook the ground beef until browned, about 5 minutes.1 pound ground beef
- Drain the grease and season with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and crushed red pepper flakes.1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Add in the marinara sauce a cubed cream cheese and stir until the cheese is mostly melted,, about 5 minutes.8 ounces cream cheese, 24 ounces marinara sauce
- Add in the cooked tortellini and stir to coat.
- Top with the mozzarella cheese and bake at 350°F for 10 minutes.1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
NOTES
- You can use fresh or frozen tortellini.
