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!
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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.
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caramel apple pie is always messy to make
Baked 5 cheese’s Triple layer Lasagna is by far our family’s most favorite of Messy recipes
My messy recipe is deffinetly stuffed peppers but they are so worth it!
tweety: https://twitter.com/myfolly/status/343952510182105088
Our favorite messy recipe is my overloaded cheese, sauced and awesome Lasagna!
Lasagna, the spaghetti sauce and cheese always splatters all over the oven leaving a big mess for me to clean up.
Just to say I’d like to mess-up my oven with that Caprese Pasta right now, just sayin’
Like you I find that a bubbling caldron of tomato based sauces is bound to result in an oven splattering mess (and a great dinner), it’s a dilemma.
Our favorite is ribs…and one time it completely overflowed the pan and was quite the mess to clean.
My favorite mess would have to be Homemade Chicken Potpie.
Caramel Corn! Messy but it’s a Christmas tradition!
All the ‘cheesies’ are the messiest in my oven, Lasagna, Pizza, Mac N Cheese, and there is nothing more not fun than stuck on cheese!
Mine is a simple one: poached egg in the microwave! Explodes every time, yet i poach on :0)
Mine is a simple one: poached egg in the microwave…explodes almost every time! Yet i still poach on :0) ALSO, I’m an avid baker renovating an 1850s home and could so use this oven!
It’s hard to beat a good old gooey apple pie, piled so high it HAS to overflow in the oven. ;)
https://twitter.com/OneFrugalGirl/status/342622813238206464
onefrugalgirl AT gmail DOT com
Chicken pot pies always seem to eek out and make a mess in my oven.
onefrugalgirl AT gmail DOT com
The recipe that leaves my oven messy is my enchiladas! I stuff the baking dishes full and use lots of cheese and sauce which, even if I cover them, tends to bubble and slosh over the edge when I pull them out :)
My lasagna messes my oven up real good.