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Creamy Pesto Caprese Pasta Casserole

[heart_this] · Sep 23, 2013 · 51 Comments

Creamy Pesto Caprese Pasta Casserole

All of the flavours of a caprese salad including tomatoes, basil pesto and plenty of melted mozzarella in a baked pasta casserole.

With the cooler weather here I don’t have to worry about the heat that having the oven on will create and that means that things like casseroles are back on the menu! Since the tomatoes and basil is still around I took advantage of the opportunity to make a ‘caprese’ pasta casserole with some fresh tomatoes and basil pesto; along with plenty of melted mozzarella of course! This recipe is super simple consisting of cooked pasta, marinara sauce, fresh cherry tomatoes, pesto, mozzarella and a touch of cream for richness, and is all mixed together and baked until the cheese has melted. There is just something that is magical about the combination of the tomato sauce, cherry tomatoes, basil pesto, mozzarella and cream and it works so amazingly well in this pasta casserole! One of the best things about this casserole is how the cherry tomatoes on top roast up, concentrating their flavour, and how the ones in the middle explode with warm tomato-y goodness in your mouth!

Creamy Pesto Caprese Pasta Casserole
Just look at all of that melted cheese!

Creamy Pesto Caprese Pasta Casserole

Creamy Pesto Caprese Pasta Casserole

Creamy Pesto Caprese Pasta Casserole

Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 35 minutes Total Time: 40 minutes Servings: 4

All of the flavours of a caprese salad including tomatoes, basil pesto and plenty of melted mozzarella in a baked pasta casserole.

ingredients
  • 12 ounces pasta (gluten free for gluten free)
  • 2 cups marinara sauce or your favourite tomato sauce
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup parmigiano-reggiano (parmesan) grated
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1/4 cup pesto
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes
  • 4 ounces mozzarella, diced
  • basil leaves to taste
directions
  1. Cook the pasta as directed and when it is done mix in the marinara sauce, cream, parmesan, balsamic vinegar, pesto, cherry tomatoes and mozzarella.
  2. Pour the mixture into a baking dish and bake in a preheated 350F/180C oven until bubbling on the sides and golden brown on top, about 20 minutes.
  3. Serve topped with julienned basil.
Option: Add sliced grilled chicken.
Option: Omit the heavy cream or replace it with Greek yogurt or sour cream.
Nutrition Facts: Calories 553, Fat 17g (Saturated 9g, Trans 0), Cholesterol 52mg, Sodium 1061mg, Carbs 75g (Fiber 5g, Sugars 10g), Protein 25g

Nutrition by: Nutritional facts powered by Edamam
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Food, Gluten-free, Main Course, Pasta, Recipe, Vegetarian

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Maria says

    September 23, 2013 at 1:02 pm

    Looks so good!

    Reply
  2. Tieghan says

    September 23, 2013 at 1:19 pm

    Oh yum!! This is my kind of me! Love creamy, hot and cheesy!

    Reply
  3. Bev Weidner (Bev Cooks) says

    September 23, 2013 at 1:38 pm

    STOOOOOOOOOP IT.

    Reply
  4. Melanie @ carmelmoments.com says

    September 23, 2013 at 1:55 pm

    I can't believe how delicious yet simple this looks. I've got plenty of cherry tomatoes around. Gotta try!

    Reply
  5. Dixya says

    September 23, 2013 at 2:20 pm

    this is one good casserole 🙂

    Reply
  6. Aimee @ Simple Bites says

    September 23, 2013 at 2:39 pm

    That cheese!! Love this perfect family dinner.

    Reply
  7. Heather Christo says

    September 23, 2013 at 3:15 pm

    I am obsessed with anything caprese, and I love that you put it in a casserole- practical and delicious!

    Reply
  8. Robyn Stone | Add a Pinch says

    September 23, 2013 at 3:35 pm

    This is one awesome casserole!!! Love these flavors!!!

    Reply
  9. Shelley Berke says

    September 23, 2013 at 4:14 pm

    any ideas on how to make this to freeze and have later?

    Reply
  10. marla says

    September 23, 2013 at 5:02 pm

    This looks hearty & great for the snow we are having!!

    Reply
  11. Kelli @ The Corner Kitchen says

    September 23, 2013 at 5:10 pm

    This is my kind of comfort food!

    Reply
  12. ashley - Baker by Nature says

    September 23, 2013 at 7:10 pm

    Omg. This looks amazing x infinity! Must try.

    Reply
  13. kevin says

    September 23, 2013 at 8:21 pm

    Shelley Berke: You could place it in the casserole dish, cover and free to bake later or after it is cooked, simply place in air tight containers and freeze. I like to freeze the the leftovers in individually portioned containers so that you can pull out what you need when you need it.

    Reply
  14. Anonymous says

    September 23, 2013 at 8:40 pm

    Kevin, every recipe of yours that I make is so delicious. I'm making this tonight. I can't wait.

    Mothercrone

    Reply
  15. Vivienne says

    September 23, 2013 at 9:11 pm

    OMG…I am literally wiping the drool off my chin. This looks absolutely delicious!

    Reply
  16. [email protected] says

    September 23, 2013 at 9:17 pm

    You definitely like anything Caprese, Kevin!:)

    Reply
  17. Ile says

    September 23, 2013 at 9:30 pm

    OMG! It looks so tasty! I'm in love with pasta dishes!

    Reply
  18. Des says

    September 23, 2013 at 9:34 pm

    Oh man. All of that cheese!! OBSESSED!

    Reply
  19. Danni says

    September 23, 2013 at 9:39 pm

    I'm making this tonight! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  20. Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says

    September 23, 2013 at 9:49 pm

    Ohhhh my!! This looks so freaking good. I love caprese anything!

    Reply
  21. Marie|Feeling Foodish says

    September 23, 2013 at 10:55 pm

    Wowza – this looks amazing! In fact, everything you make looks amazing!!

    Reply
  22. Gaby says

    September 23, 2013 at 11:33 pm

    DYING FOR THIS

    Reply
  23. Ellie Delancey says

    September 23, 2013 at 11:48 pm

    I'm in love with this!

    Reply
  24. We Are Not Martha says

    September 24, 2013 at 12:01 am

    I'm not a big casserole girl, but this looks seriously perfect!

    Sues

    Reply
  25. Kiran @ KiranTarun.com says

    September 24, 2013 at 2:19 am

    Cheesy goodness. Yum!!

    Reply
  26. Anne @ Have a Cookie! says

    September 24, 2013 at 3:35 am

    What a beautiful sight! I can't wait to try this one!

    Reply
  27. Chung-Ah | Damn Delicious says

    September 24, 2013 at 6:04 am

    My basil plant is blooming right now so this is the perfect way to use them up!

    Reply
  28. Joanne says

    September 24, 2013 at 10:33 am

    So much cheesy pesto awesomeness!! The perfect transition food from summer to fall.

    Reply
  29. Stacy | Wicked Good Kitchen says

    September 24, 2013 at 11:24 am

    Killer casserole, Kevin! Deliciousness and beyond! Cannot wait to try. Thanks for sharing. Pinning to group boards everywhere! xo

    Reply
  30. Megan Keno says

    September 24, 2013 at 2:11 pm

    Caprese is one of my all time favorite flavor combos. Kevin this looks amazing and so perfectly cozy for fall.

    Reply
  31. Jacalynz says

    September 24, 2013 at 2:47 pm

    Looks easy and super tasty! Kevin, did you use fresh mozzarella or the type that comes in a block wrapped in plastic? Thanks!

    Reply
  32. Anonymous says

    September 24, 2013 at 6:43 pm

    I made this last night. I thought I died and went to heaven. It was one of the best meals I've made in a long time. Everything that I try from your website is always delicious.

    Mothercrone

    Reply
  33. kevin says

    September 24, 2013 at 7:44 pm

    Mothercrone: I am glad that you enjoyed it!

    Reply
  34. - spoonstories- says

    September 25, 2013 at 10:04 am

    I like it so much…and that melted cheese with cream is amazing…

    Reply
  35. A. says

    September 26, 2013 at 4:17 pm

    I`ve made this with light Creme Fraiche, light Mozzarella,sugarfree tomato sauce and wholegrain pasta.It was healthy and freakin` delicious,even my boyfriend loved it.

    Reply
  36. Marian (Sweetopia) says

    September 29, 2013 at 2:24 am

    YUM!!

    Reply
  37. Kulwant says

    October 2, 2013 at 12:47 pm

    Colorful pic

    Reply
  38. Nancy says

    October 4, 2013 at 11:48 am

    I made this a couple of days ago and we all really enjoyed it. I made it pretty much as written except I forgot to add the balsamic (darn!) It came together quickly using good jarred sauce and prepared pesto, so it's a great meal for week nights. Once again you've come through, Kevin. Thanks!

    Reply
  39. Siunna says

    October 7, 2013 at 1:01 am

    This is the best pasta meal I've had in a long time- quick, easy and absolutely delish! Thanks so much for posting this fabulous recipe!

    Reply
  40. Anonymous says

    October 7, 2013 at 9:45 pm

    I added some ground beef, which took away from the nice red color of the sauce, but this meal was as good as lasagna and far easier to make. I'll see what happens with white meat. I think I'll incorporate a pack of frozen spinach to get more vegetables and the green color should be a nice contrast.

    Reply
  41. terrancedc says

    October 31, 2013 at 8:11 pm

    This was great, but the tomatoes didn't get roasted or cooked enough to burst open or soften much at 350 degrees. I'll try baking it at 400 or 450 next time.

    Reply
  42. Anonymous says

    December 5, 2013 at 5:19 pm

    Kevin, do you think this could serve about 10-12 people if served with another pasta bake and lots of sides? Can I make it in a 9×13 pan?

    Reply
  43. kevin says

    December 10, 2013 at 2:30 pm

    Anonymous: You might want to double the recipe and use that 9×13 baking pan. You won't regret having any leftovers if there are any!

    Reply
  44. Trish says

    September 1, 2014 at 8:28 pm

    I made this and all I can think of is eating it again!! YUMMY! I am making this for company tonight…. yeah it was that good….company good!
    The only change I made was I added chicken sausages sliced up and mixed in because I have 4 boys!! LOL! Thank you for posting this deliciousness!!

    Reply
  45. Anonymous says

    September 16, 2014 at 3:40 pm

    Kevin, do you think I could make this with spinach to get some more greens in there? It looks delicious!

    Reply
  46. kevin says

    September 23, 2014 at 7:05 am

    Anonymous: Spinach would be a nice addition!

    Reply
  47. Maria says

    February 21, 2018 at 10:13 am

    Made this yesterday and LOVED it! I added a red bell pepper as well for a few extra veggies – yum!

    Reply
  48. Val says

    January 25, 2019 at 6:41 pm

    Hi Kevin—love all your recipes! Is it possible to set up your print options so the picture doesn’t print to save on ink? Thanks!

    Reply
    • kevin says

      January 28, 2019 at 11:26 am

      Not right now but I will look into that!

      Reply
  49. Mia says

    May 24, 2019 at 9:59 am

    I made this for dinner last night, and it was so delicious! It was very easy to prepare as well. This is a keeper for future dinners!

    Reply
  50. Inge says

    July 30, 2019 at 8:43 am

    Loved this dish! It is creamy and delicious and the pesto really added a lovely flavor. Thanks again!

    Reply

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Kevin: I came to realize that my meals were boring and that I had been eating the same few dishes over and over again for years. It was time for a change! I now spend my free time searching for, creating and trying tasty new recipes in my closet sized kitchen.
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