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.
I can be a messy preparer-I like to bake – but when I am craving the lasagne I love it really messes up my kitchen! It never fails that my ricotta mixture is all over my noodles and me! When I grate the cheese it flies everywhere and the sauce is always splattered over my clothes and counters! My family loves lasagne, it’s been fun to teach my kids to make it, but the worst is the cleanup! I like your recipe description and need to try it too!
Either my blackberry brown butter tart or my husband’s favorite veggie enchiladas – totally need a self-clean oven!
Ever since my bearly adult son got into the old series, Twin Peaks, I have to make him cherry pie. The first time I made it the filling ended up all over the bottom of the oven, now I use a foil lined cookie sheet under it but there still is a mess. Thanks for a great giveaway!
My favorite messy recipe is homemade Spaghetti and Meatballs. There is no way to stay clean when you are eating spaghetti & Meatballs. Thanks for the chance to win this beautiful oven.
Well….probably the “biggest” mess maker I cook is berry pies, yummy. But I also make a pretty darn good mess with the baked beans that always run over, and you know how much molasses and tomato=ey stuff I put in mine. I’m thinking I just might make these dishes more often with an LG Easy Clean Oven! Great recipe, I will try it!
With the kids helping to cook, it seems ALL my recipes leave the oven messy. But the exploding-baked-potato incident stands out in my mind, I must admit.
My favorite messy recipe is bake beans and they are the best!
The simplest things – like pizza toppings – are what end up smoldering on the bottom of my oven. But that doesn’t dim the anticipation of enjoying the meal!
Strawberry-Rhubarb Crumb Pie!
It’s not a recipe that makes the biggest mess for me, it’s sweet potatoes. No matter how many times I make them I always forget to put something under them that will catch all the gooey drippings!
baked alaska
For me, enchiladas or nachos… I always end up making a mess if the pan isn’t big enough and it overflows in the oven…but it’s oh so good…lol. Love your pics as well, definitely trying out your recipe!
I love to make blackberry cobbler in the summertime. I is just delicious and usually bubbles over in the oven. It is all worth it in the end with vanilla ice cream on top!
Lasagna!
1 – box of lasagna noodles
1 – lb. ground beef
1 – medium onion
mushrooms (optional)
1 – container of cottage cheese
1 or 2 bags of shredded mozzarella cheese
whatever kind of sauce you like. Sometimes in a hurry I use Hunts Spaghetti sauce in the can. This sauce to me isn’t real acidity and doesn’t hurt my stomach.
Boil the noodles unless you’re using the no cook kind.
Place the ground beef and onion in a skillet brown. Drain off the grease. Then add the sauce. Add the mushrooms if using.
I start to layer. I put a little of the ground beef sauce mixture on the bottom.
Then I put noodles down.
A little of the sauce mixture
cottage cheese
Mozzarella cheese
Noodles
Repeat the layers or you can fix it the way you want.
We love a lot Mozzarella cheese in ours, makes real messy.
Put it in a 350 degree oven until it’s bubbly.
Sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing your recipe!
I make the biggest messes with fruit pies!
Mixed Berry Cupcakes for me. Seems the Jello destroys any hope of them rising and holding shape properly.
I hate to admit that I have a knack for boling over many dishes! Lasagna, wet burrito casserole, lasagna…..just to name a few! Now I’m going to try my hand at boling over your Caprese pasta, it looks good enough to clean the over afterwards!
My favorite messy recipe is lasagna. Seems I can never make it and keep things relatively clean at the same time! :)
This looks amazing! The messiest meal I make is baked ziti with Italian sausage…there’s no such thing as too much cheese or sauce, and it bubbles over every single time!