Tortellini Alla Vodka Bake
If you’re in the mood for comfort and lots of flavor, run to grab these ingredients. You won’t regret making this. And the best part is you don’t have to make the sauce (even thought it’s kind of the best part). You can easily use a jarred marinara sauce in its place. Voila: dinner is served!
This is not your mom’s baked ziti/pasta recipe. We are starting off with a homemade creamy alla vodka sauce (perfect for any pasta dish). Then we are mixing that sauce with some thick mascarpone and flavorful pesto. Mascarpone can be substituted with cream cheese.
Very important in this recipe is to only boil your tortellini for 2 minutes. Keep in mind that it will be in the oven for 30 minutes so it will cook through.
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Baked Tortellini Alla Vodka
Ingredients
Sauce:
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1 shallot, fine dice
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 4.5 oz tomato paste (1 tube)
- 1/2 tsp chili pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup vodka
- 15 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1 tbs honey (optional)
- salt to taste
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Pasta:
- 20 oz cheese tortellini
Assembly:
- 1/3 cup mascarpone
- 1/3 cup pesto
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley (garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350° F. and spray a 9×13" baking dish with olive oil.
Sauce:
- In a large pot, heat your olive oil on medium. Add in the shallot and sauté for 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic for 30 seconds (until fragrant). Add the tomato paste and chili pepper flakes and coat shallot and cook for 5 minutes stirring constantly.
- Add the vodka and stir to incorporate for a minute. Next add in the crushed tomatoes and honey. Season with salt to taste. Reduce heat to low and cook this sauce for 10 minutes, covered. Stir in the heavy cream until a smooth sauce forms. Remove the pot from heat source.
Pasta:
- Cook your tortellini for 2 minutes in salted boiling water. Drain.
Assembly:
- Add the tortellini, mascarpone and pesto to your sauce pot and mix to coat. Transfer to your baking dish and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes or until warmed through. Top with parsley.
Notes
Nutrition
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