Barilla Baked Tortellini with Sweet Cherry Tomato-Pepperoni Sauce

Hey there! Welcome back. I hope you all are having a lovely Wednesday.

Today I have another savory recipe for you. I've been cooking more savory dishes lately, haven't I? I can't bake cookies every day. Well, I probably could.

I made up this recipe last night, and it was my dinner last night and tonight. And it also was really, really good.

This is my attempt to win a trip to Italy. I know a lot of people are entering this contest, so I have a slim chance of winning, but I thought I'd give it a shot. Barilla and Foodbuzz sent out an email asking for featured publishers to create an Italian inspired recipe using Barilla tortellini. Six finalists will be selected to receive Barilla Tortellini and share their recipe. Then, in the final round of judging, one grand prize winner will win a trip to Italy!

I love using tortellini in meals, whether it's for an elegant, gourmet dinner, or a quick weeknight supper. (Barilla) tortellini should be a staple in everyone's home.

As for the inspiration for this recipe, well, I wanted to create a meal that was quick and easy, gourmet, and comforting. When I think of comfort food, I think of baked pasta dishes.



I cooked the three cheese tortellini according to the package instructions and placed them in a baking dish. Then I made up a quick tomato sauce using Barilla's Spicy Marinara sauce, sauteed good quality-pepperoni, sauteed sweet cherry tomatoes and balsamic vinegar. Adding pepperoni to the sauce was totally inspired by Mike Isabella making a pepperoni sauce in the Top Chef finale a few weeks ago. :)



The sauce gets poured on top of the tortellini and is topped with dollops of ricotta cheese. Ohhh ricotta cheese. Don't get me started on how much I love that stuff. Then, the creamy ricotta is topped with Italian breadcrumbs and a drizzle of good olive oil.

The pasta is baked for fifteen minutes until the sauce is bubbly, and the breadcrumbs get golden brown and crispy. After a sprinkling of chopped fresh basil the pasta is ready to eat.

And eat I did. This baked tortellini was delicious! I was transported to Italy with every bite I took.

Can you imagine going to Italy? Can you imagine the food? I would be in heaven! I adore Italian food... pizza, pasta, bread, olives, prosciutto, parmigiano, biscotti, gelato...

Ugh. I'm going to be daydreaming about Italy all day long.


Barilla Baked Tortellini with Sweet Cherry Tomato-Pepperoni Sauce
Printable Recipe

1 bag Barilla Three Cheese Tortellini
5 teaspoons olive oil, divided use
1 cup coarsely chopped pepperoni
2 cups coarsely chopped cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 cups Barilla Spicy Marinara Sauce
1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
1/3 cup Italian breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil

Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Coat an 13x9-inch glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Prepare the tortellini according to package instructions; place evenly in baking dish.

Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add pepperoni and cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in cherry tomatoes and cook an additional 2 minutes. Stir in balsamic vinegar and marinara sauce until well combined; bring to a boil.

Pour cherry tomato-pepperoni sauce over the top of tortellini. Place spoonfuls of ricotta on top of sauce. Evenly sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Drizzle breadcrumbs with remaining 3 teaspoons olive oil. Bake 15 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. Sprinkle basil over the top before serving.

Makes 6 servings