By The end of sophomore year is in two weeks. I want to write down the grades because the grades are evidence of the year. Algebra: B-plus. English: B. Biology: A. Advanced home ec: A. The grade-point average is recovering. The D in English last spring is a shadow that the new B has covered over.
Mrs. Patterson the guidance counselor stopped me in the hall on Wednesday afternoon between fifth and sixth period and she said, very directly, Kaylee, your trajectory this year has been remarkable. I am writing the sentence down because nobody had ever called my trajectory remarkable before. I think I just nodded. I went to home ec.
And the recipe today is one I taught at First Baptist on Saturday morning. Mrs. Tilford had asked me three weeks ago if I would teach a small Sunday school class of twelve teenagers a real one-pan Italian dish. The class meets in the church basement on the third Saturday of each month and is part of a youth program Mrs. Tilford runs called Skills for Real Life. She had run the class herself for fifteen years. She said she was getting tired and was looking for younger volunteers. She asked me. I said yes.
I picked baked tortellini with chicken gratinati from a Couple Cooks recipe I had been holding for a month, because the recipe is a one-pan Italian bake that uses refrigerated cheese tortellini (which you can buy at any grocery store and which most teenagers had not cooked with before), shredded chicken, marinara, and a layer of mozzarella and parmesan, all baked together at 375 for thirty minutes until the cheese is bubbling and brown.
The math: a 20-oz package of refrigerated cheese tortellini, $4.99. A pound of shredded cooked chicken from two markdown thighs, $1.49 worth. A pint jar of homemade canned marinara from the pantry shelf, free since I had made it in March. A bag of shredded mozzarella, $1.99. A small block of parmesan, $0.50 worth. Garlic, dried oregano, dried basil from the rack. Total: about $9.00 for a 9-by-13 pan that fed Mama and me Sunday and Monday.
The technique is the layering and the bake. You combine the tortellini (still raw, straight from the package), the shredded chicken, and the marinara in a large bowl. You toss to coat. You pour the mixture into a buttered 9-by-13 pan. You sprinkle the mozzarella and parmesan generously across the top. You bake at 375 for thirty minutes covered with foil so the tortellini cooks through, then ten more minutes uncovered for the cheese to brown.
I taught it Saturday at the church to twelve teenagers ranging in age from thirteen to sixteen. The basement has a small stove and a long counter. I worked through each step in front of them. They paired up and made small individual portions in personal-sized ramekins. The whole thing took the ninety-minute class. By the end of the hour the basement smelled like an Italian restaurant. Mrs. Tilford watched from the back of the room with her hands folded in her lap. At the end she came over and said, baby, you are a teacher.
I made the home version Sunday afternoon. Mama and I ate at the kitchen table at six. Mama said, baby, this is the kind of one-pan dinner I have been wanting somebody to invent. I said, somebody did, Mama. I just made it.
The recipe is below. The trick is using refrigerated tortellini straight from the package — do not boil it first. The pasta cooks in the sauce in the oven. Cover with foil for the first thirty minutes, then uncover for ten more for the brown top.
Baked Tortellini with Chicken Gratinati
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 35 min | Total Time: 50 min | Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 20 oz refrigerated cheese tortellini
- 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or cubed
- 1 can (10.5 oz) cream of mushroom soup
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven. Heat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray or butter.
- Cook tortellini. Boil tortellini in salted water according to package directions, cooking 1–2 minutes less than instructed so it stays slightly firm. Drain and set aside.
- Build the sauce. In a large bowl, whisk together cream of mushroom soup, chicken broth, and sour cream until smooth. Stir in minced garlic, onion powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Combine filling. Fold the cooked tortellini and shredded chicken into the sauce mixture until evenly coated. Pour into the prepared baking dish and spread into an even layer.
- Add the topping. Sprinkle mozzarella evenly over the top, followed by 1/4 cup of the Parmesan. Drizzle lightly with olive oil to encourage browning.
- Bake. Cover dish loosely with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle with remaining Parmesan, and bake uncovered for an additional 12–15 minutes until the top is golden, bubbly, and slightly gratinati (gloriously browned at the edges).
- Rest and serve. Let the casserole rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 490 | Protein: 31g | Fat: 21g | Carbs: 44g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 820mg