Easy. Breezy. Capresie? That’s how I describe this spicy baked caprese pasta. I find it funny how some of my most favorite recipes are the ones that I never originally intended to put on the blog. Here I was trying to throw together dinner for the both of us and this caprese pasta was born. Naturally, we both loved it so much that I wanted to get this on here as soon as I could. The tang of the tomatoes, the chewy pasta, the creaminess of fresh mozzarella cheese, the fresh sweetness of basil, plus garlic. I mean, this is the nutrition packed package. But… wait for it. I haven’t told you the best part. It takes just 30 minutes. Read it and weep. Er, um… happy weeping? Tears of joy? Yes? Mmk, so here’s the thing. A big dish of rigatoni rolled around in tomato sauce, fire roasted tomatoes, and fresh heirlooms, all topped with fresh, sweet basil pesto, and melty, gooey mozzarella – it’s definitely the best thing ever. And I’ve been eating it all week. Just try to stop me, I dare you. No but please dont. Basil. Cheese. Tomatoes. Pasta. Exactly in that order when you dive mouth first into this baked caprese pasta. It’s like a margherita pizza in the form of pasta. Is there anyone in the world that wouldn’t love that? Doubt it. I think I probably had you at cheese. And although it may not look like it, it’s loaded with nutrition. We’ve got tomatoes in 3 different forms, only 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and protein from the fresh mozzarella. Now that’s a perfect, guilt-free meal. Vegetarian, healthy, and loaded with cheese? This is so perfect for meatless Mondays.
Let’s talk tomatoes. You definitely don’t have to use the mini heirloom tomatoes. Regular cherry or grape tomatoes work great too. If you don’t have those either, just use what you’ve got on hand. Remove the seeds and dice up Romas or salad tomatoes. What ever you do make this caprese pasta. Don’t think. Just do it. Shallots. I used shallots because they’re milder in flavor. I used 2 small shallots. If you don’t have any just use a small onion in it’s place. Mozzarella. You can go with fresh, whole milk mozzarella or the shredded kind. I did a combination of both. I just sliced the fresh mozzarella into halves and tossed them in between layers of rigatoni and sauce. And used the shredded stuff on the top. You can use all shredded mozzarella cheese if you don’t have fresh mozzarella on hand. You can’t go wrong with what you toss in the baked caprese pasta. Diced eggplant, zucchini, or even baby spinach would add ‘meatiness’ to this dish and turn it into a full veggie packed meal. You could even serve this pasta alongside a grilled chicken breast or crispy baked chicken tenders. The possibilities are truly endless! Run. Don’t walk. You need to make this tonight!
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For the pasta: It’s important to boil the rigatoni pasta to al-dente. Over boiling will cause the pasta to become over-cooked when baked in the oven.For the tomatoes: If you don’t have mini heirloom toamtoes, use cherry or grape tomatoes instead. Or dice up Roma or salad tomatoes with the seeds removed, they work great too!For the cheese: I used 4 oz of fresh mozzarella cheese along with 2 oz of shredded mozzarella, you can use one or the other or a combination of both.This baked caprese pasta is very versitile, so use what you’ve got on hand!
