How do you reheat cold pasta bake?

You can reheat pasta in the microwave at 1-minute intervals until it's hot enough, or pop the leftover baking dish in the oven at 375° F for about 10-15 minutes.

Can you overcook pasta bake?

It is possible to overcook pasta bake, so the approach should be to slightly undercook the pasta before you bake it (when you pre-boil it) that way, it’ll finish cooking while it’s baking.

Should you fully cook pasta before baking?

No, you should slightly undercook it before baking the pasta so it doesn’t overcook.

How do you know when pasta is done baking?

Since you precook it (boiling it first), it doesn’t need too much time in the oven to cook. It takes about 15 minutes, or until the cheese starts to get bubbly and the cheese is melted.

What temperature do you heat up pasta bake?

To reheat the pasta the next day, bake it in the oven at 375° F for 10-15 minutes or until warm enough.

Why is my pasta bake still watery?

After baking the pasta bake, you should give it some time to rest before cutting into it. This will give the pasta time to soak up and thicken the sauce.

What goes with pasta as a side dish?

There are lots of options to serve with pasta as a side dish. Some of the most common would be a fresh loaf of bread or a fresh salad.

How do you store leftover pasta bake?

You can store the room temperature leftover pasta bake in an airtight container or in the baking dish covered in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Creamy Pesto Tortellini Bake with Mozzarella

Name: Creamy Pesto Tortellini Bake with Mozzarella
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: american
Ingredients: Cheese Tortellini, Frozen: 28 Oz; Reserved Pasta Water: 1/4 Cup; Pesto: 1.5 Cups; Milk (2%): 1.5 Cups; Spinach: 4 Cups; Mozzarella Cheese, Shredded: 2 Cups

Description

This creamy pesto tortellini bake with mozzarella is creamy, it’s cheesy, it's full of pesto, and it’s super hearty.

Ingredients

Cheese Tortellini, Frozen: 28 Oz
Reserved Pasta Water: 1/4 Cup
Pesto: 1.5 Cups
Milk (2%): 1.5 Cups
Spinach: 4 Cups
Mozzarella Cheese, Shredded: 2 Cups

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Instructions

Prepare: Preheat the oven to 425° F. Grease a 9x13 rectangular baking dish and set it aside.
Pasta: In a large pot filled with water, cook the tortellini per the instructions on the package (cook it for a couple of minutes less than specified). Before draining the pasta, reserve ¼ cup of the pasta water.
Sauce: In a small pot, add the pesto and milk and bring to a boil on high heat, stirring occasionally. Add the reserved pasta water and simmer on low for 1 more minute. Remove it from the heat and stir in the spinach.
Bake: Transfer the drained tortellini to a large bowl and pour the sauce over it, mixing until fully coated. Transfer the pasta to the baking dish, and evenly sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the top. Bake the pasta for 10-15 minutes until the cheese begins to get bubbly and melt.

Notes

The pasta is going to be cooked twice in this recipe; first, it's boiled, then baked. To ensure it's not overcooked, you should aim to boil the pasta for a couple of minutes less than specified on the package. If there's a suggested time range for cooking it, choose to cook it for the lesser amount because it still needs to cook while it bakes.

Once you boil and drain the pasta and put it back into the same pot you boiled it in, you should remove it from the burner you originally cooked it on to avoid the pasta from continuing to cook or sticking to the pot.

You can use either frozen or fresh tortellini in this pasta bake. You just need to follow the instructions on the package and boil it for slightly less than specified to ensure it doesn’t overcook when you bake it.

To avoid a runny pasta bake, give it at least 10 minutes to rest before cutting into it. The resting period will give the sauce time to thicken and make it easier to cut into.

Nutrition facts are estimates only.

Scroll up to the full blog post for recipe FAQ’s and serving suggestions.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Category: lunch, dinner, pasta, casserole
Method: stove top, bake
Cuisine: american, italian