The study of core-collapse supernova remnants (SNRs) presents a fascinating puzzle, with intricate morphologies and a non-uniform distribution of stellar debris. Particularly, young remnants (aged less than 5000 years) hold immense value as they can offer crucial insights into the inner processes of the supernova (SN) engine, revealing details about nucleosynthetic yields and large-scale asymmetries arising from the early stages of the explosion. Furthermore, these remnants also bear characteristics that may reflect the nature of their progenitor stars and the interactions between the remnants and the surrounding circumstellar medium (CSM), shaped by the progenitor's mass-loss history. Hence, investigating the connection between young SNRs, parent SNe, and progenitor massive stars can be of paramount importance to delve into the physics of SN engines, and to investigate the final stages of massive star evolution and the elusive mechanisms governing their mass loss. In this contribution, I review recent advances in modeling the path from massive stars to SNe and SNRs achieved by our team. The focus is on investigating the links between the observed physical and chemical properties of SNRs and their progenitor stars and SN explosions. The unraveling of this connection offers us the opportunity to probe the physics of core-collapse SN explosions and the final stages of evolution of massive stars.