Tortellini lasagna

Let me just say this: I am in my lazy lasagna era, and I am thriving.

Last week, during the wild ride that is the final stretch of the school year — concerts, field days, class parties, forgotten permission slips — I had zero brain space for dinner. You know that feeling? When you’re this close to ordering pizza for the third time but also really want a home-cooked meal that doesn’t require 47 steps and a full dishwasher load?

Enter: Tortellini Lasagna Bake — my weeknight dinner hero.

This recipe came together in under 35 minutes and was such a hit with my whole crew. It’s basically all the flavors of classic lasagna — savory meat sauce, pockets of ricotta, gooey mozzarella, and tender pasta — but made with store-bought tortellini so you can skip the layering and boiling. It’s one skillet, no fuss, and the kind of cozy comfort food that feels like a warm hug at the end of a long day.

I browned up some ground beef (you can use Italian sausage too if you want it spicier), stirred in our favorite jarred marinara, tossed in the cheese tortellini, dolloped ricotta over the top (don’t skip this — it gives the best creamy bites), and finished it with a generous sprinkle of mozzarella and parmesan. Popped the whole thing into the oven for about 15 minutes, and done.

My kids devoured it. Even my pickiest eater asked for seconds — and that never happens unless the food involves chicken nuggets or pizza.

What I love most is that this is a super flexible meal. You can make it meatless with mushrooms or lentils, swap in ground turkey, or sneak in some spinach if you’re in your “I need them to eat greens” phase (been there). It also makes great leftovers — I reheated it for lunch the next day and it was just as dreamy.

So if you’re looking for a weeknight win that tastes like you worked way harder than you did, this is it.

Tortellini lasagna bake is officially on our dinner rotation — especially during these end-of-school chaos weeks when dinner needs to be simple, fast, and family-approved. Bookmark this one, friend. You’re going to come back to it again and again.