Caprese Pesto Pasta Bake

By Leslie Blythe  , , ,   

August 25, 2021

Caprese salad is a simple Italian salad, made of sliced fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil. Like pizza Margherita, it features the colours of the Italian flag: green, white, and red. This Caprese Pesto Pasta Bake is taking all those ingredients with some pesto and mixing it with pasta. You can make it ahead and bake it later in the day.

  • Prep: 15 mins
  • Cook: 30 mins
  • Yields: 6 Servings

Ingredients

3 cups cherry tomatoes

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

⅓ cup fresh chopped herbs, such as thyme or oregano

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

kosher salt and black pepper

1 pound short pasta

¾ cup basil pesto, homemade or store-bought

2 - 3 cup fresh baby spinach

8 ounces shredded or torn mozzarella or burrata cheese

3 ounces prosciutto, thinly sliced, optional

fresh basil, for serving

Directions

1Preheat the oven to 400° F. Spray a 9 x 13-inch deep baking dish with cooking spray. 

Cover the bottom of your baking dish with olive oil. In the pan, toss together the cherry tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, herbs, crushed red pepper flakes, and a large pinch of salt and pepper. Transfer to the oven and roast for 10-15 minutes or until the tomatoes collapse.

2Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and add the pasta back to the pot. Immediately toss with the pesto, spinach, and half of the cheese. Add the tomatoes and all the juices from the tomatoes and gently toss to combine. Season with freshly ground black pepper and salt. Transfer the pasta back into the baking dish used to roast the tomatoes.  

3Evenly sprinkle the remaining cheese over top the pasta, arrange the prosciutto, if using, over the cheese. Transfer to the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the prosciutto is crisp. Remove from the oven and garnish with fresh basil.

Recipe from Half Baked Harvest.

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