Caprese Pesto Pasta Bake

Caprese pesto pasta bake is a very simple summer dish the entire family will love. Make it with fresh, ripe tomatoes, lots of basil and baby spinach, and top it with generous amounts of pesto and mozzarella before baking it for just 15 minutes. The result? A perfect summer pasta bake that will please vegetarians and meat-eaters alike.

Try my Italian Potato salad next!

Just like probably any other person on the planet, I'm not a fan of cooking in hot weather (or what passes for hot weather here in Scotland). But this doesn't mean that I stop craving good food just because there's a heatwave going on.

And even though I do love pasta salads and all sorts of cold dishes, I must have at least one hot meal a day no matter the temperature; otherwise, I feel my day is not complete.

Enter this Caprese pesto pasta bake. Ready in just 30 minutes, including oven time, this dish makes the most of fresh summer tomatoes. Whether you're making it for lunch, a quick dinner, or even a picnic, this basil and mozzarella pasta bake surely delivers.

If pesto and melty cheese are your idea of a good night in, swap the pasta for pillowy gnocchi and try my creamy pesto gnocchi bake next.

What do you need to make Caprese pasta bake?

As you may have already gathered from the name, this pasta bake is based on Caprese salad, which is a simple classic Italian salad made with fresh tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and fresh basil.

But since pasta is always nicer than a salad (sorry, waistline), I like to turn it into a Caprese pasta bake to which I also add pesto for good measure.

You only need a handful of ingredients to make this pasta:

Pasta - Any short pasta shape would work for this tomato and mozzarella pasta. I used shells, but penne, fussili or farfalle would also be great.

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Cherry tomatoes - Plump cherry tomatoes are perfect for this summer pasta bake. I like to cut them in half, so they release their juices quicker and cook them in the same pain I'm baking the pasta in. However, you can also roast the whole tomatoes in the oven, drizzled with a bit of olive oil.

Fresh basil - This is essential for anything Caprese and you should definitely don't substitute it with dry basil.

Pesto - I use shop-bought pesto for this pasta because it's a dish I typically make when I couldn't be bothered with something more complicated, but you can also make your own if you like.

Mozzarella - Any kind of mozzarella is great for this pasta bake, but I like to use small mozzarella balls because I like the way they melt. Plus, they're the cutest thing to cook with.

How do you make it?

You can make the base of the dish while you boil the pasta - they should be ready at approximately the same time.

Here's how to make it:

• Heat the olive oil in a large pan and saute the shallot for 1-2 minutes over medium heat until softened. Add the garlic and red chili flakes and cook for another 30 seconds.
• Now it's time to heat the oven at 200°C (395°F).
• Add the cherry tomatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes until they start to release their juices.

• Stir in the oregano, then add the cooked pasta to the pan. Toss it with the pesto, basil leaves, and baby spinach, then stir in half of the mozzarella. Season with salt and pepper, and then top the pasta with the rest of the mozzarella.
• Bake for 15 minutes or until the mozzarella is bubbling. Serve with extra freshly ground pepper if you like.

Extra recipe tips

• If the sauce looks too dry, you can add a dash of pasta water. However, keep in mind that this is not a pasta dish that needs to be draining in liquid.
• You don't want the mozzarella to become crispy for this pasta bake - you want it bubbly and soft. Keep an eye on your oven and take it out earlier if you notice the cheese is becoming golden. You definitely don't want it to become tough or worse, burned.
• The baby spinach is optional, but it tastes really great while also adding another of your five a day to this pasta dish.

If you liked this Caprese pesto pasta bake, you might also like some of my other delicious veggie pasta recipes:

• Pasta alla Cenere
• Balsamic Caramelized Onion Pasta
• Vegan Cajun Pasta
• Blue Cheese Pasta with Spinach and Walnuts
• Creamy Lemon Gruyere Pasta
• Creamy Mushroom Zucchini Pasta

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