This is an easy and light pasta to make during those busy weeknights. The pasta is filled with sweet roasted cherry tomatoes, fresh basil and baby spinach topped with cheesy mozzarella. Bake all the ingredients together in a baking dish and this family friendly dinner is ready in just 25 minutes!
key ingredients for caprese pasta bake
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Baby Spinach
- Fresh Basil
- Garlic
- Dried Pasta
- Fresh Mozzarella
- Parmesan
key steps to make caprese pasta bake
- Roast the Cherry Tomatoes: To bring out the sweetness and release the juices of the cherry tomatoes, roast them in the oven for about 15 minutes until they become blistered.
2. Cook the Pasta Al Dente: Cook the pasta al dente according to package instructions. Make sure to generously season the pot of water with kosher salt. I like to use rigatoni, orecchiette, rotini or any pastas that will hold its shape and texture well in the oven. For this recipe, I used lumaconi that look like snail shells and my daughter thinks they’re fun to eat.
3. Assemble all the Ingredients in the Baking Dish: Add the baby spinach, parmesan and olive oil to the baking dish with the roasted cherry tomatoes. This is where you want to adjust the seasoning one last time with salt and black pepper so make sure to taste the pasta before transferring it to the oven.
4. Top the Pasta with Fresh Mozzarella and Parmesan
6. Bake in the Oven: Transfer the baking dish to the oven and bake for about 8-10 minutes just until the cheese is melted. If you want the tops of the cheese to brown quicker, use the broiler for about a minute which will help speed up the process.
7. Garnish: Once the pasta is done baking, let it cool for about 5 minutes. Then plate the pasta and garnish with fresh basil, grated parmesan cheese and red chili flakes (optional). Serve immediately. Enjoy!
a few things to note
- Red Chili Flakes: If you want to add some heat to the pasta, add 1/2 to 1 tsp of red chili flakes. I added 1 tsp to my baked pasta and it was on the spicier side so adjust your spice level accordingly. For families with children, I recommend adding the red chili flakes at the end for the adult plates.
- Pasta Water: My one concern with this baked pasta was that it might end up too dry so I initially reserved some pasta water. However, I the roasted tomatoes and baby spinach released enough liquids during the baking process so there was no need to add pasta water prior to baking.
- Generously Season: Lastly, since this pasta has a light sauce, it’s so important to generously season the pasta water with kosher salt. Also, make sure to adjust the seasoning one last time with salt and black pepper before transferring the pasta to the oven.
Easy Caprese Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 1 lb dried pasta rigatoni, orecchiette, lumaconi
- 24 oz cherry tomatoes
- 4 garlic cloves finely minced
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp salt for cherry tomatoes
- freshly cracked black pepper
- 4 oz baby spinach
- 16 oz fresh mozzarella sliced
- 1.5 cups grated parmesan
- .5 to 1 tsp red chili flakes optional
- fresh basil leaves julienne
- kosher salt and cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Cook the pasta al dente according to package instructions. Make sure to heavily salt your boiling water prior to cooking the pasta! I added about 2 generous tbsp of kosher salt to my pot of water.
- While the pasta is cooking, add the cherry tomatoes, garlic, red chili flakes (optional) and 2 tbsp of olive oil to a baking dish. Season the tomatoes with kosher salt and black pepper. Roast the tomatoes for about 10-15 minutes in the oven until they become blistered.
- When the tomatoes are finished roasting, gently press each tomato with the back of a spoon to help release the juices. This process will help create a light tomato sauce for the pasta.
- When the pasta is done cooking, drain the pasta and add it to the baking dish with the cherry tomatoes. Then add the baby spinach, 2 tbsp olive oil and parmesan cheese. Toss all the ingredients together and season with additional salt and black pepper. Then top with fresh mozzarella and additional parmesan cheese. Bake in the oven for about 8 minutes until the cheese is melted. (If you want the tops of the cheese to brown quicker, use the broiler for about a minute which will help speed up the process.)
- Let the pasta cool for about 5 minutes. Plate the pasta and garnish with fresh basil and additional parmesan cheese. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
