Cheesy baked tortellini: feed a crowd!

Spring is springing, which means most of us Bostonians are crawling out of our winter-induced period of hibernation. The time is here to socialize with friends, frisk about in lighter jackets and less layers of clothing, and get down to some serious spring cleaning.

Even though I live in a tiny apartment with a weird layout that is unconducive to group socializing, I still love to have people over. Recently I tried out a slightly altered version of a tortellini bake I found online, and it was fantastic! It's incredibly easy to throw together, and it's tasty and filling. I altered a few of the measurements and switched out a couple of things. This recipe is great because you can cut it in half to make less, or leave it at the measurements below to feed a crowd.

Cheesy Baked Tortellini

• 4 cups marinara or other pasta sauce
• 8 oz mascarpone cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley leaves
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
• 2 lbs cheese tortellini
• 4 oz mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Parmesan cheese blend

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a 9 x 13 baking dish.

Whisk the sauce, mascarpone cheese, parsley, and Italian seasoning in a large bowl to blend. Cook the tortellini in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender. Drain. Add the tortellini to the sauce and toss to coat.

Transfer the tortellini mixture to the prepared baking dish. Top the mixture with the mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover with foil and bake until the sauce bubbles and the cheeses on top melt, about 30 minutes.