Recipe #57: Cheesey Baked Tortellini

I asked my husband what he wanted for dinner today, his last day of vacation.  He said pasta.  Then he said, something cheesy.  Then he said, something with that tortellini..... Wish granted.  Here's a great recipe that's easy, and I got to try out a new ingredient:  mascarpone cheese.  Keep in mind, this is an expensive cheese that's similar to a very soft cream cheese.  You can use actual cream cheese (alone or with some cream mixed in) or ricotta cheese instead.  You can also use dry herbs instead of fresh.

This recipe is copied directly from foodnetwork.com.  Thank you Giada De Laurentiis!

Ingredients

• Olive oil
• 2 cups marinara sauce
• 1/3 cup mascarpone cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1 pound purchased cheese tortellini
• 2 ounces thinly sliced smoked mozzarella
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil an 8 by 8 by 2-inch baking dish.
Whisk the sauce, mascarpone cheese, parsley and thyme in a large bowl to blend. Cook the tortellini in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 2 minutes. 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 smoked mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover and bake until the sauce bubbles and the cheeses on top melt, about 30 minutes.