Easy Tortellini Bake

You guys.

I seriously meant to blog this weekend. Truly, madly, deeply, I did. And then... it was like vacation mode. I didn't even open the blog. I didn't read any blogs. I just watched football. And it was wonderful.

Granted, it was technically a terrible weekend of football. Just terrible. The Duck's had an ugly game on Saturday, and let me tell you, the Steeler's on Sunday was no picnic either. But it was nice to just relax. Drink some wine. Yell and throw my slippers at the TV every so often. 

But now it's Monday and I haven't posted in almost a week. Eek. Luckily, I've got something on board that is easy. Delicious. And most of all, comforting. 

It's definitely beginning to feel like fall around here. Not so much with the temperature, as we are still having days in the upper 80's. But it's cooling at night. The trees and leaves are inexplicably changing color without the temperature change. I haven't seen a hummingbird in 3 days, which always makes me sad. I mean, I know the birds show up in May and they are gone by late September, but nevertheless I get the blues every year when they go. That's my true sign on fall. I'm usually sad about the change of seasons for a couple of days, and then the magic of fall sets in. Back to comforting soups, hot sandwiches, and cozy casseroles. Back to cooking with pumpkin and apples and butternut squash, oh my! 

And this, this is one of those cozy casseroles. It's super-easy to throw together with pre-made tortellini, pesto, and marinara-

Pretty much all you'll need after pasta, marinara, and pesto is spinach-

And cheese. Talk about ease to the pease!

It's perfect early-fall comfort food. Early-fall cheesy comfort food! 🧀

Ohhhhh yeahhhhhh 😍😍😍

Ok, so just to update everyone to where I'm at- 

I've been averaging 1-2 posts a week and I think that is going to be the new normal for awhile. I don't want to say I'm going to take a huge break, because I really don't want to. I do still want to share recipes, I'm just not having the energy to do it more often. At least for now. Along with the fall blues, I'm still dealing with depression from my back injury. I know I haven't talked much about my back since early summer and it's because there isn't much to say. The initial shot into my left SI joint that helped only lasted for about 6 weeks when it was supposed to last for 6 months. The shots were not the answer I was hoping for. Right now, my back is pretty much the same as it was in the early summer. I've pretty much hit a dead end with traditional medicine, as surgery is not an option for me at this time. And those were my choices. Surgery, or live with it. Live with it, meaning non-traditional medicine like chiropractors and acupuncture. Meeting with a chiropractor is next on the list. Still, it's hard to hear at 33 years old that you need to "live with it". 

I never thought I'd be away from running this long. It's been hard to swallow. It's also been hard to find a new outlet for all my feelings. I'm keeping at the yoga, 3-4 times a week but... it's not the heart-pounding, sweat-in-your-eyes kind of outlet that running is. I just can't say that enough. 

So, I'm just trying to adjust to a new normal. It's taking some time. It's almost like a grieving process. I know I'm supposed to be telling myself that this injury is temporary and it won't last forever, but again, it doesn't feel that way at this time. Two and half years feels anything but temporary. The hubby has committed to a half-marathon in May and I'm feeling all the feelings because I can't join. I'll be walking while he's running and then I guess I'll be cheering him on at the finish line when the time comes. 

And, I guess, who knows? Maybe a chiropractor will be the ticket. I've talked to lots of people that chiropractors have helped when traditional medicine cannot. 

In the meantime, I'll be spending the next couple of days catching up on my reading and commenting. Doesn't take back muscles to read! ✌🏻

Happy Monday friends!

Ingredients (serves 4):

1 (9 oz) package of tortellini, any flavor (I used Italian Sausage)

2 cups marinara (sub store-bought!)

1 cup pesto (sub store-bought!)

1 (9 oz) bag of fresh spinach

1 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

garnish- parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400º. Coat an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside. 

2. Cook tortellini according to package directions but cook about 1 minute less so the tortellini are a little al dente. Drain.

3. In a large mixing bowl, combine cooked tortellini with marinara, pesto, and spinach. Mix to combine. 

4. Move 1/2 of tortellini mixture into prepared baking dish. Top with 3/4 cup of mozzarella cheese. Add the rest of the tortellini mixture on top. Top with remaining cheese. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and browned. Divide mixture among plates and top with parmesan cheese, if using. Serve immediately. 

Printable Recipe

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