My neighbor has been making this every Sunday for 40 years and I finally got her to share it

This oven baked 4-ingredient creamy Tuscan tortellini is the kind of comforting, no-fuss casserole that quietly becomes a Sunday tradition. My neighbor Carol has been making this every Sunday for 40 years, and when our kids were little, the smell of it baking would drift across the yards right around dinnertime. It’s rich, cozy, and uses just a handful of grocery-store staples: cheese tortellini, a creamy Tuscan-style sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, and plenty of melty cheese with spinach tucked in. Everything bakes together in one dish, which makes it perfect for busy families who still want that “someone cooked for me” feeling at the end of the week.

Serve this creamy Tuscan tortellini straight from the casserole dish with a simple green salad (mixed greens, cucumbers, and a light vinaigrette) to balance the richness. Warm garlic bread or a crusty baguette is wonderful for scooping up the extra sauce around the edges. If you’d like a little more color on the table, add roasted broccoli or green beans. For adults, a glass of light red wine or a crisp white pairs nicely, while kids usually love it with cold milk or sparkling water with lemon.

Servings: 6

2 (20–22 oz each) packages refrigerated cheese tortellini

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray or a little butter so the tortellini and cheese don’t stick.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, salt, pepper, and garlic powder (if using). If you’d like extra flavor, whisk in about 1 tablespoon of the oil from the sun-dried tomato jar.

Add the refrigerated cheese tortellini (uncooked), sliced sun-dried tomatoes, and chopped spinach to the bowl. Sprinkle in 1 1/2 cups of the shredded mozzarella cheese, reserving the remaining 1/2 cup for the top.

Gently toss everything together until the tortellini are well coated in the cream and the spinach and sun-dried tomatoes are evenly distributed. It will look a little loose, but the pasta will soak up some of the cream as it bakes.

Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish, spreading it into an even layer so the tortellini are mostly submerged in the cream. If any tortellini are completely dry on top, press them down gently so they get some sauce on them.

Cover the baking dish tightly with foil. Bake on the center rack for 25–30 minutes, until the cream is hot and the tortellini are just tender when you poke one with a fork.

Carefully remove the foil (watch for steam). Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella evenly over the top.

Return the dish to the oven, uncovered, and bake another 10–15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and lightly golden in spots. If you like a deeper golden top, you can broil on high for 1–2 minutes at the very end, watching closely so it doesn’t burn.

Let the casserole rest for about 5–10 minutes before serving. This helps the sauce thicken slightly so it clings to the tortellini instead of running all over the plate.

Serve warm, scooping with a big wooden spoon so you get plenty of cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and wilted spinach in every portion.

To stay true to the spirit of a 4-ingredient Sunday staple, the heart of this recipe is cheese tortellini, cream, sun-dried tomatoes, and spinach with cheese on top—everything else is just small pantry flavor helpers. For picky eaters, you can chop the sun-dried tomatoes very finely so they blend into the sauce, or reduce the amount by half the first time you make it. Spinach can be finely chopped or swapped for baby kale; if your kids protest greens, start with 2 cups instead of 5 and work your way up each week. For extra protein, stir in about 1 1/2 cups of cooked, diced chicken or crumbled cooked Italian sausage along with the tortellini. If you prefer a lighter sauce, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream, but know the sauce will be a bit thinner and may not be quite as silky. You can also mix mozzarella with a little grated Parmesan for a sharper flavor. If using frozen tortellini, thaw in the fridge first or add 5–10 extra minutes to the covered baking time, checking for doneness before uncovering. Food safety tips: Keep the tortellini refrigerated until you’re ready to bake, and don’t leave the finished casserole at room temperature for more than 2 hours; refrigerate leftovers promptly in shallow containers. Reheat leftovers to at least 165°F (74°C) before serving. If you add cooked meats, ensure they are fully cooked and cooled properly before mixing into the casserole, and avoid letting raw meat juices contact any of the other ingredients. Because this dish uses cream, avoid freezing and thawing multiple times; if you do freeze leftovers once, reheat gently and expect the sauce to separate slightly, which you can stir back together as it warms.