This vegetarian Caprese Pasta Bake is simple yet satisfying, great for a weeknight supper – Made with simple ingredients and ready in just 30 min!
This simple Caprese Pasta Bake is a great way to satisfy summer cravings on a cold rainy winter day- It’s all packed with fresh Italian flavours, and delivered in a hearty baked version, perfect to warm you up during the cold season.
This is one of my go-to meals when I feel a little under the weather, and I find myself craving comfort food, something heart-warming, easy to make with simple ingredients and not too many steps to follow. And this Caprese Pasta Bake certainly fits the bill.
This recipe is ready in just 30 min, it’s conveniently vegetarian and made with simple every-day ingredients from the Italian cuisine: pasta, marinara sauce, cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil.
For the sauce, I’ve used a simple 5-min marinara sauce, which reminds me the freshness of the tomatoes of the classic caprese salad.
But if you have a little more time on hand, you could also swap it with my classic Italian tomato sauce for a more hearty flavour.
This Caprese Pasta Bake comes together so effortlessly easy, that you’ll have lovely meal ready to share with the whole family before you know it.
All you have to do is cook the pasta until al dente, mix it with the sauce, mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and basil, and bake it in the oven until the cheese is nicely melted and your kitchen smells amazing.
Once baked, spoon the steaming pasta into large bowls, sprinkle with extra basil (if you’re feeling naughty grate some umami-rich parmesan cheese on top), and get ready to devour it in less than a blink.
My favourite thing about this Caprese Pasta Bake is that is as simple as it sound, making an ideal dinner for busy people (especially if you’re a new mum like me).
You really can’t go wrong with cheese, pasta, and sauce baked to perfection!
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?
Please let me know how you liked it! Leave a comment below and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #thepetitecook! Looking at your pictures always makes me smile *and super hungry*!
Caprese Pasta Bake
This vegetarian Caprese Pasta Bake is simple yet satisfying, great for a weeknight supper – Made with simple ingredients and ready in just 30 min! Recipe by The Petite Cook
Author: The Petite Cook
Recipe type: Vegetarian
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 400gr penne rigate pasta
- 400gr homemade marinara sauce
- handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
- handful of fresh basil leaves, roughly teared
- 250gr fresh mozzarella, drained and finely cubed
- 1 tbsp of extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Heat oven to 180C/360F and arrange a baking tray into the middle shelf.
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of lightly salted boiling water. Cook the pasta until just al dente, about 4 min shorter than cooking time instructions.
- Drain pasta, and mix it with the marinara sauce, tomatoes, half the mozzarella, basil and olive oil. Toss all ingredients together, season accordingly, then spoon evenly into a large ovenproof dish.
- Top the pasta with remaining mozzarella. Place in the oven and cook until cheese is melted, about 15 minutes.
- Top with the remaining basil and serve immediately.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days.
3.5.3229