A delicious caprese pasta bake covered in creamy tomato sauce and bubbly mozzarella. This easy 30-minute meal is the perfect way to use up fresh tomatoes and basil from the garden!
This pasta recipe reminds me of my baked ziti, baked feta pasta or baked mostaccioli, but with a caprese twist!
Table of Contents
Cheesy Baked Caprese Pasta
Today I’m going to share a super yummy recipe with you…a caprese pasta bake! Caprese salad is my absolute favorite and this dish combines those delicious flavors with my love of pasta recipes. It’s creamy, cheesy and full of flavor from the fresh tomatoes and basil.
Just like pasta primavera, this is a great vegetarian dish to make for Meatless Monday, although you could absolutely add ground beef or sausage if you want like I do in my baked rigatoni pasta. My family doesn’t even miss the meat and always raves over this meal.
Tips + Variations
- Salt the water. Add a teaspoon of kosher salt to the pot of water when boiling the pasta. It’s a simple way to pack in a little more flavor and trust me, it makes a difference!
- Cook noodles al dente. I usually boil the noodles until they are cooked al dente. This way they don’t get too mushy after baking in the oven. They come out perfectly tender and delicious!
- Add meat. Add 1/2 pound cooked ground beef, chicken or Italian sausage to add more heartiness to this meal.
- Lighten it up. Swap the heavy cream for half and half, or leave it out all together.
- Homemade marinara. If you have the time, making a homemade marinara sauce can really take this dish up a notch. It tastes so fresh and delicious!
- Finish it off. For the ultimate caprese flavor, add a drizzle of balsamic glaze right before serving.
FAQs
Sure! A few Tablespoons of basil pesto would another layer of flavor to the Caprese pasta
Fresh mozzarella cut into cubes is best! You can find a large ball of fresh mozzarella usually in the produce department of most grocery stores.
Spinach leaves would add a bright pop of color and nutrition!
Any hollow pasta in the shape of a tube works great to soak up all the sauce! Penne, ziti and rigatoni would all work best.
How to Freeze Pasta Caprese
Similar to other baked pasta dishes like lasagna or baked spaghetti, this recipe is a great freezer meal. Because it makes a lot, I usually always freeze half to pull out for an easy dinner.
This recipe works best when frozen before baking. Simply boil the noodles, then mix with the sauce and prepare in the baking dish as directed. Let cool completely, then cover the dish tightly with foil. Place in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, thaw in the fridge overnight and then bake in the oven according to the instructions.
Need more easy pasta recipes? Try this pasta carbonara recipe or chicken parmesan recipe next!
More Delicious Pasta Dishes
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Caprese Pasta Bake
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound ziti pasta , penne or rigatoni
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 2 cups marinara sauce
- ⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- 2-5 ounces mozzarella cheese , cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 1 cup grape tomatoes , halved
- fresh basil leaves , chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a 9×9" baking dish with nonstick spray. Cook pasta according to package directions in a large pot of water with 1 teaspoon salt. Once pasta is fully cooked, drain and place back in pot.
- Once noodles are done cooking, add in the sauce, heavy cream and parmesan cheese.
- Stir in mozzarella and tomatoes (saving some for the top). Then pour pasta mixture into baking dish and top with remaining cheese and tomatoes.
- Bake in oven for 20-30 minutes, or until golden and bubbly. Top with freshly chopped basil. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Categorized as: 30 Minute Meals, 30 Minute Meals, Casseroles, Dinner, Freezer-Friendly, Freezer-Friendly, Italian, Nut-Free, Pasta, Vegetarian, Vegetarian
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
Lasagna is the messiest thing I put in my oven. Next in line would be fruit pies.
My family loves when I make stuffed peppers but they’re kind of messy. Thanks for the chance to win! (I totally need a new oven.)
I left a comment the other day but don’t see it here. When does this giveaway end? who can enter? how will the winner be selected? can you only get a gas range? I don’t see any information about this contest
Hi Paige! The giveaway ends on June 15th. Winner will be selected by random.org. I will check with the sponsor to see if only a gas range is available to the winner.
We have a Manicotti Casserole that we love, but it sometimes gets pretty messy at the end of the cook time when the cheese is melting. Thanks for the giveaway!
Love Cheesy Meatball Bake. So good but so messy!
A birthday tradition for my sweetheart is homemade lasagna, homemade French bread and homemade carrot cake. Tradition started over 25 years ago and now even the kids pick this meal for their birthdays too. And wouldn’t it be sweet to have a double oven so the bread and lasagna come out at the same time. Yum!
overflowing cake
My favorite messy food is homemade banana muffins! They have a crumb topping that gets everywhere! Totally worth it!
Homemade stout-crust pizza… those grape tomatoes keep rolling off, but if you cut ’em in half, they’re not quite the explosions of scalding deliciousness…
My favorite messy recipe is blueberry pie!
I love trying out new recipes, but every time my oven pays for it. I am a terrible cook and my oven shows it. I keep trying…
Starts off with the homemade sauce and meatballs on the stove to make the lasagna in the oven. Then the dessert baked in the oven homemade blueberry pie, and the homemade zeppoles fried on top of the stove, and the homemade pizza on the pizza stone with the cornmeal to slide on the stone. These are the messiest things made in the oven and on top of the stove.
My husband makes an incredible lasagna but never remembers to put a pan under it. What are you gonna do?
The messiest thing I cook would have to be homemade pizza…I overload the pizza and things are always falling off!!!
My family’s favorite messy recipe is homemade caramel corn. We don’t cook it long enough for the caramel to get hard, we like it sticky and its yummy!
Lasagna for sure! It always seems to bubble over some how. Thanks for the giveaway!
Homemade baked potato casserole with all of the fixings, so yummy but messy!!!
Hmmm… Messy? ….When all the yummy cheese’s boil over my homemade mac n’ cheese…Then there are my homemade apple crisp’s, apple pie’s and cherry pie’s…Our homemade pizza’s?..Yes they are definitely MESSY… Including everything else that my 12yr old daughter helps me with baking…. But the recipe that makes the biggest mess is my Homemade Lasagna—> Fresh crushed and diced tomatoes,, added to that is ground beef,, ground (medium heat) pork sausage,, ground turkey,, pepperoni,, diced green peppers,, chopped onions ,,fresh minced garlic and fresh herbs and spices to make the sauce… At least three different cheeses whichever you prefer and lasagna noodles all thrown together to make a messy but yummy dish… Also I cant forget the fresh salad and homemade garlic bread to go with it…Ohh sooo good…. I may not have the recipe for it but all the ingredients are there for anyone to use,, when I cook mine it is always made for anywhere between 6-13 people so doing it by eye is always the best way to go for me….It doesn’t matter if I make to much because whatever is leftover we sit around and snack on before dinner is ready……