CHEESY BAKED TORTELLINI WITH OPTIONAL GROUND BEEF

Cheesy Baked Tortellini with Optional Ground Beef image

Provided by Kare for Kitchen Treaty

Time 50m

Number Of Ingredients 8

1 pound refrigerated or frozen cheese tortellini
2 cups [url href="https://www.kitchentreaty.com/italian-tomato-sauce/"]Italian tomato sauce[/url] or marinara sauce
1/3 cup mascarpone cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup shredded mozzarella (8 ounces)
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/2 pound lean ground beef

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease one 8-inch by 8-inch baking dish or, if making a vegetarian version and a meaty version, grease two approximately 4-inch by 8-inch baking dishes.
Cook the tortellini to al dente, according to package directions. Drain.
Add the sauce to a large bowl and stir in the mascarpone cheese, parsley, and thyme.
If NOT adding beef to half, gently toss the cooked tortellini with the sauce and pour into the 8-inch by 8-inch baking dish. Proceed to step 6.
If adding ground beef to half, brown the ground beef and drain. Add about 1 1/2 cups of sauce to the beef and stir. Add just under half of the tortellini to the sauce with the beef and add the rest of the tortellini to the remaining sauce in the bowl. Toss both gently until coated. Pour meaty version into one 4-inch by 8-inch baking dish and the vegetarian version into another.
Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top(s).
Bake until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese melts, 25 - 30 minutes. Serve.