Red and White Tortellini

By
Linda Larsen
Linda Larsen
Linda Larsen is a journalist, quick-cooking and slow-cooking expert, and accomplished cookbook author with over 30 years of experience in testing and developing recipes.
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Updated on 01/14/23
Red and White Tortellini

The Spruce / Abby Mercer
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 70 mins
Total: 75 mins
Servings: 6 to 8 servings
Yield: 1 3-quart casserole
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
696 Calories
33g Fat
72g Carbs
27g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 696
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 33g 43%
Saturated Fat 18g 92%
Cholesterol 123mg 41%
Sodium 1569mg 68%
Total Carbohydrate 72g 26%
Dietary Fiber 5g 16%
Total Sugars 8g
Protein 27g
Vitamin C 4mg 20%
Calcium 461mg 35%
Iron 3mg 17%
Potassium 563mg 12%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This super simple recipe for red and white tortellini uses just five ingredients and takes just five minutes to put together. We've served it to ​company - it's that good!

This is one of the recipes that we use when we're too tired to cook and just don't want to face the kitchen anymore, but don't want to leave the house. We often add a one pound bag of frozen fully cooked meatballs to the casserole; just put them on top of the tortellini and bake as directed.

If you want to keep this recipe vegetarian, just use vegetarian meatballs! Or you could saute some onion, garlic, and bell peppers in a bit of olive oil before mixing with the tortellini and sauces. But that would make this recipe more than five ingredients! And this recipe is really perfect just as it is.

We like to serve this recipe with a nice crisp green salad tossed with some fresh sliced mushrooms and some cubed avocado or cherry tomatoes. A fruit salad would also be delicious with this super simple dish. For dessert, offer some ice cream, drizzled with chocolate sauce and caramel sauce, and topped with toasted pecans, for the perfect end to this easy but wonderful meal.

Ingredients

  • 2 (18-ounce) packages refrigerated or frozen cheese tortellini, uncooked

  • 1 (28-ounce) jar spaghetti sauce

  • 1/2 cup water

  • 1 (12-ounce) jar Alfredo four cheese sauce

  • 1/4 cup milk

  • 1 cup shredded Parmesan or mozzarella cheese

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

    Red and White Tortellini ingredients

    The Spruce / Abby Mercer

  2. In a three-quart glass baking dish, layer the frozen tortellini and the spaghetti sauce. Put the water into the empty sauce jar, close the lid tightly, and shake well. Pour this mixture over the tortellini. That's how you get all of the spaghetti sauce out of the jar, and the water helps the tortellini cook and stay tender.

    frozen tortellini and the spaghetti sauce in a baking dish

    The Spruce / Abby Mercer

  3. Spoon the Alfredo sauce over the tortellini, making sure that all of the little pasta is completely covered. Place the milk into the empty Alfredo sauce jar, close the lid tightly, and shake. Then drizzle this mixture over the casserole to get all of the sauce out of the jar.

    Alfredo sauce on top of the tortellini mixture in the baking dish

    The Spruce / Abby Mercer

  4. At this point, you can top the casserole with frozen meatballs, if using. Sprinkle with the cheese.

    cheese on top of the Alfredo sauce in the baking dish

    The Spruce / Abby Mercer

  5. Cover the casserole tightly with foil and bake at 350 F for 55 minutes. Then uncover the casserole and bake for 10 to 15 minutes longer, until the tortellini is tender, the sauce is bubbling, the cheese is melted, and the meatballs are hot.

    Red and White Tortellini in a baking dish

    The Spruce / Abby Mercer

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