broccoli & spinach pesto tortellini bake

this easy meatless bake comes together quickly, is full of flavor and packed with veggies. it’s also a great make-ahead meal for busy weeknights!

When I set out to meal prep this weekend I knew that I needed at least one dish that was going to come super quickly with really minimal effort and this was that dish!

We are big pasta lovers in our house. We eat it for an easy dinner at least once a week. I’ll always make a big batch of steamed veggies that I can pair with mine but I notice Chad somehow manages to eat his bowl without said veggies.

So packing it all into one cheesy, delicious casserole was my sneaky way of making him eat the veggies…and you know what? It worked!

He gobbled it up and proclaimed how good it was. I guess I would call that a wife win? Haha. Is it bad that I do the same things for my toddler as I do for my husband when it comes to eating vegetables?

For real though, if you have a picky eater on your hands, sneaking veggies in this way is awesome. Find the one thing they love most (for Chad it’s probably cheese) and combine it with a veggie! And Chad, if you’re reading this, it’s only because I love you! 🙂

There are veggies in every part of this dish. Not only is the tortellini spinach-loaded, but I then went and added a little steamed broccoli PLUS made my favorite spinach basil pesto. So no matter what part you choose to eat, you can be sure you’re getting some good veg in there.

broccoli & spinach pesto tortellini bake

• Author: Cait
• Prep Time: 10
• Cook Time: 10
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings 1x
• Category: dinner

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Description

this easy meatless bake comes together quickly, is full of flavor and packed with veggies. it’s also a great make-ahead meal for busy weeknights!

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Ingredients

For the Pesto:

• 2–3 large handfuls of fresh baby spinach
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
• 2–3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1/3 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped walnuts
• Salt & pepper
• Olive oil

For the Pasta Bake:

• 2 9 oz. packages of fresh spinach tortellini
• 1, 1 lb. package broccoli florets (fresh or frozen)
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs mixed
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

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Instructions

For the Pesto:

• Place all ingredients, except for olive oil, into a food processor and begin to process.  Slowly stream in olive oil until you’ve reached your desired consistency.  Then set aside.

For the Pasta Bake:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Cook tortellini according to package instructions.
• In a large saucepan, add broccoli and fill with water until broccoli are mostly submerged.  Bring to a boil and once boiling, cook for 10 minutes (*see note).  Drain and set aside to cool.
• Once broccoli is cool, roughly chop and toss together with cooked tortellini.  Add as much or as little of the pesto as you’d like and mix to combine.  Add mixture to a 9×13 inch pan.
• Combine breadcrumbs and mozzarella then top the broccoli & tortellini mixture with it. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and bake for 10 minutes (or until the cheese is melted and bubbly).

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Notes

* This will make the broccoli fairly soft if you’re using frozen.  If you prefer it still have a bite to it, I would cook for 8 minutes.  For fresh broccoli, you may want to pull one out and test after 10 minutes and cook longer if you would like it to be softer.  

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.  Reheat for 1 minute on HIGH in the microwave.  If the bake seems dry upon reheating, drizzle with a little olive oil.

Keywords: dinner

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