Creamy Pasta Bake with Cherry Tomatoes and Basil

Name: Creamy Pasta Bake with Cherry Tomatoes and Basil
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 6 Servings
Ingredients: 1 (16 ounce) pasta; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 onion, finely chopped; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 3 (6 ounce) cans tomato sauce; 2 tablespoons tomato paste; u00be cup heavy whipping cream; u00bd cup grated Parmesan cheese; salt and freshly ground black pepper; 1 pinch white sugar; 1 pound cherry tomatoes, halved; 1u00bc cups shredded mozzarella cheese; 1 small bunch fresh basil, finely chopped

By Leslie Blythe Casserole, Cheese, Italian, Pasta, Vegetarian Baking, Boiling, Sautéing, Simmering

November 29, 2017

This Creamy Pasta Bake with Cherry Tomatoes and Basil is absolutely delicious. It's like a creamy caprese pasta and is ready to enjoy in just 30 minutes!

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

Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) pasta

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 (6 ounce) cans tomato sauce

2 tablespoons tomato paste

¾ cup heavy whipping cream

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 pinch white sugar

1 pound cherry tomatoes, halved

1¼ cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 small bunch fresh basil, finely chopped

Directions

1Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add penne and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of cooking water.

2Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and cook onion until soft and translucent while penne is cooking, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds. Stir in tomato sauce and tomato paste and cook until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Add cream and Parmesan cheese and season with salt, pepper, and sugar.

3Preheat oven to 400° F. Grease a baking dish.

4Add some pasta cooking water to sauce and stir in cooked penne. Remove from stove and stir in cherry tomatoes, 1/2 the mozzarella cheese, and basil. Pour penne mixture into the prepared baking dish and cover with remaining mozzarella cheese.

5Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is melted, about 20 minutes.

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