Sometimes you want a quick meal that doesn’t take all day to pull together. This Tortellini Spinach Bake in Creamy Lemon Sauce is a great example of a really good dinner, that was created by simple ingredients I already had around my kitchen. I’ve said over and over that the trick to being able to whip up quick, yet delicious meals in a pinch is keeping a well-stocked pantry.
One of the things I always have around is dried pasta, in all shapes and sizes. I love quick cooking tortellini that can be a great base to so many quick dinners- and there’s something fun about little pouches of cheese! I also almost always have a giant package of fresh spinach from Costco in my fridge, and it’s so cheap that I don’t hesitate buying it in such large quantities. After a week or so I’m always looking for ways to use it up quick before it goes bad.
This is an awesome little pasta bake and the great thing is that it looks fancy and tastes decadent, but it’s super simple to throw together (shhh…no one has to know!) And although it’s rich and creamy and cheesy, it’s also fairly healthy. I love dinners that I can throw together during my baby’s nap-time and pop in the fridge to have ready at dinner time when things get crazy.
Let’s cook.
Ingredients Needed
This is just a preview of ingredients and method, keep scrolling for full printable recipe.
- Tortellini – You can find dried tortellini in the regular pasta aisle- a great thing to have in your pantry. You can also use fresh tortellini that you find near the deli or frozen tortellini would work, too.
- Bacon – Pancetta will also work.
- Fresh garlic
- All-prupose flour
- Milk
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Dry basil
- Red pepper flakes – These don’t make the dish spicy, they just add a nice kick of flavor.
- Lemon
- Fresh spinach leaves
- Mozzarella cheese – Freshly grated is best!
- Parmesan cheese – Freshly grated is best!
How to Make a Tortellini Spinach Bake
- You don’t need to have any jarred sauce on hand for this dish- the sauce is SO good and you’ll be amazed how quick and easy it is. It’s stars with cooking up a few strips of bacon (or pancetta would be great too) until crisp. It only takes a little bit for good flavor throughout the dish.
- After you take the bacon out of the pan, you’re going to make a simple roux– but instead of butter, we’ll take advantage of the fat we’ve already got right there in the pan! You’ll just use a little bit, and discard the rest of the grease. I usually just take a wad of paper towels and soak it right up and toss it in the trash. (Or save it in a jar if you’re a save-the-bacon-grease type of person)
- In the little bit of bacon grease in the pan, toss in some minced garlic. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again- the smell of fresh garlic sauteing in bacon drippings is one of the most intoxicating smells in the world. Glade needs to market that one. Add a little flour and a little milk (non-fat is fine) and you’ve got yourself a base to a nice creamy sauce.
- We’ll flavor it up with salt and pepper of course, a little basil, and then some fresh lemon zest, lemon juice, and some red pepper flakes. The lemon is so bright and so fresh, it adds the perfect flavor to this creamy, savory dish. And with the red pepper flakes, you can add just a little, for flavor and no heat- or a lot, for flavor and a nice kick. Up to you. It’s like a choose your own adventure book (remember those??) I added 1/4 teaspoon and it wasn’t spicy at all. Really. I promise.
- By now those tortellini are done cooking (they only take about 10 minutes) so drain those and then place them back in the pot they came out of. The tortellini is back in the pot and now we’ll toss in the spinach and the bacon (I reserve about 1 tablespoon of the bacon to put on top at the end)
- We’ll also add a little cheese, both Parmesan and Mozarella, for flavor and creamy-melty-cheesy-goodness. If you wanted to bulk up the meal and add some protein, some chopped grilled chicken would be fantastic ion there too!Stir in the sauce and pop it all in a baking dish with a little more cheese and bacon on top. At this point it can be covered in foil and go in the fridge for later, or right into the oven.It bakes up in 20-30 minutes, and while it’s in the hot oven the flavors have a party and come out tasting even better than when they started. Amazing how that happens!
- Serve it as a one dish dinner with a piece of crusty french bread on the side, or as a side to chicken or steak. Makes a great addition to a pot-luck too. With the fun tortellini and the yummy cheesy sauce, my kids said NOTHING about the fact that there was spinach in there. Plus one for team Mom!
Storing and Other Tips
- Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy within 4-5 days for best results.
- Terminology tip: When a recipe calls for “loosely packed” spinach, it looks like the first photo below: lightly piled into your measuring cup. When it calls for it to be “roughly chopped,” it looks like the second photo.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this ahead of time?
Yes! You can assemble the entire dish, cover it, and refrigerate it before baking.
Can I make this vegetarian?
Sure. Sub in another oil or fat for the bacon grease. There will still be plenty of flavor from the garlic and cheeses.
Tortellini Spinach Bake in Creamy Lemon Sauce
This easy dinner combines tortellini with a quick smoky, creamy sauce. Great for nights that you're short on time!
Servings (4-6, depending on serving size)
Ingredients
- 12 ounces bag Barilla Cheese & Spinach Tortelini find them in the dry pasta aisle
- 4 ounces bacon or pancetta (about 4 strips bacon)*
- 3 cloves garlic pressed in garlic press or finely minced
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups milk
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ½ teaspoon dry basil
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes 1/2 tsp or more if you like spicy
- 1 medium lemon
- 2 cups loosely packed fresh spinach roughly chopped
- ¾ cups grated mozzarella cheese divided
- ¾ cups grated Parmesan cheese divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Fill a large stock pot with water and bring to a boil. Add tortellini and cook according to package instructions.
- Place bacon in a medium sized skillet on the stove-top at medium-high heat. Cook until crisp. Remove bacon from pan with slotted spoon and set on paper towels to drain. Reserve two tablespoons bacon drippings in pan and discard the rest. Add garlic to pan and cook until fragrant and tender, about 1 minute. Add flour to pan and stir with a whisk for about 1 minute. Slowly add milk and continue to stir with whisk until smooth. Add salt, pepper, basil, and red pepper flakes and bring sauce to a simmer.
- While sauce is heating, use a microplane grater or a fine-holed cheese grater to zest lemon. Then cut lemon in half and remove juice. Add 2 teaspoons zest and 1 tablespoon lemon juice to sauce. (Note: I really love lemon so I added this to my tastes. If you don’t want as strong of a lemon flavor, I suggest cutting it down to 1 teaspoon zest and 2 teaspoons lemon juice) . Continue to stir until thickened, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Drain tortellini and place back in stock pot. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the cooked bacon and add the rest to the pasta mixture. Add spinach, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Add sauce and gently stir to combine. Place pasta mixture in an 8×8 or 9×9 baking dish and top with remaining 1/4 cup mozarella and 1/4 cup parmesan and also crumbled bacon.
- Cover pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, until cheese on top is melted and pasta is bubbly throughout. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy within 4-5 days for best results.
- You can find dry tortellini on the pasta aisle, fresh tortellini near the deli, or frozen tortellini on the freezer aisle. All will work!
Nutrition
Calories: 460kcal, Carbohydrates: 43g, Protein: 21g, Fat: 23g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0.02g, Cholesterol: 74mg, Sodium: 1269mg, Potassium: 294mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 1433IU, Vitamin C: 13mg, Calcium: 386mg, Iron: 2mg
Calories: 460kcal
Cost: $15
Did You Make This Recipe?Snap a picture, and hashtag it #ourbestbites. We love to see your creations on our Instagram @ourbestbites!
Questions & Reviews
I just made this. Outstanding. Didn’t change a thing. I’m not a fan of cooked spinach or lemon in savory dishes. Given that EVERY SINGLE RECIPE I’ve tried from your site has turned out excellent, I decided to give this a try. My lifestyle is quite busy so I think this would be tough to make during the week. I was wondering if I could make it the night before up to the point where you put the cheese/pancetta on top to bake it…
In other new…I love your website, tips, and recipes. I can’t get enough. I would love to see a broccoli casserole recipe that is on the lighter side…you know those broccoli casseroles where sometimes you find them with rice or chicken or mushrooms, etc.. I love them but they are never good for you! Velveeta (gasp) or cheese whiz (no lie and double gasp).
Yep, you could definitely make it ahead of time and just keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to bake. I’m glad you’re enjoying our recipes!
Looks so good!! Any idea how well it would freeze? Thanks!!!
I’ve never frozen it, but most dishes like this freeze well so I’d give it a shot!
I was totally uninspired on what to make for dinner. Had tortellini in my fridge and wanted to use it but had no idea how to do that…. THANK YOU for being awesome. This dinner was delicious and miraculously I had all of the ingredients (except fresh lemon…) But, I felt so blessed! It was so good! Thank you again!
CORRECTION…..ourbestbites is the hashtag (#ourbestbites)
I made this the other night. Everyone loved it. Next time I will omit the bacon and add a whole lot more lemon juice. I instagrammed a photo with ourbites as the hashtag.
(#ourbites)
Thanks for sharing it!
used the entire lemon and added capers & thought i had died & gone to heaven!!!!!
This was fantastic. I made it and reviewed the recipe on my blog. Thanks again for a delicious recipe.
This was great! I only found 8 oz boxes of tortellini and I just used all of it. I also used the smaller amt of lemon you recommended b/c I’m not the biggest lemon fan and it was perfect. Enough to add brightness without the whole dish being too citrus-y. Thanks for the great new meal!
This is PERFECT! Looking for a quick fix tonight (and knew I had tortellini, so I started there) and I luckily have everything in this recipe! That doesn’t happen to me too often either! 🙂 Thanks!
Delicious! Made this for my family and recently for a potluck. Couldn’t find the dry pasta last time. Fresh spinach and cheese tortellini from refrigerated section in the market was great.