Creamy Caprese Pasta – A delicious pasta bake covered in creamy tomato sauce and bubbly mozzarella. Super easy to make and the whole family loves it!
I love the flavors in the classic caprese salad, so I decided make this fun pasta variation. It’s so delicious and will become an instant hit with your family. Some of my other favorite variations are my grilled caprese sandwich, caprese kabobs and one-pot chicken caprese pasta.
Caprese pasta bake
Today I’m going to share a super yummy recipe with you…a caprese pasta bake! Caprese salad is my absolute favorite and this dish combines those delicious flavors with my love of pasta. It’s creamy, cheesy and full of the beloved caprese salad ingredients that taste so fresh.
This pasta caprese is one of my favorite family recipes. It’s super easy to make and the whole family loves it! I’ve even done caprese stuffed shells and they turned out amazing. You can use your family’s favorite pasta to make it your own, too.
Creamy… cheesy…caprese pasta bake! What else could you ask for? ;) You must give this dish a try. It will soon be a new family favorite for you too. So many delicious flavors wrapped up in this caprese pasta recipe!
What’s in it?
- Pasta: I used rigatoni, but penne or ziti would great too.
- Spaghetti sauce: Store-bought or homemade are both delicious.
- Cheese: You’ll need both grated parmesan cheese and mozzarella.
- Heavy cream: This helps the sauce get thick and creamy.
- Tomatoes: I add in grape tomatoes that have been sliced in half.
- Basil: You’ll need about 3-5 fresh basil leaves for topping.
How to make pasta caprese
Scroll down for the printable caprese pasta recipe and video tutorial.
- Preheat oven. Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a 9×9″ baking dish with nonstick spray.
- Cook the pasta. In a large pot of water with salt, cook pasta according to directions. Drain and place back in pot. Drizzle with olive oil.
- Make the sauce. Warm spaghetti sauce over medium-heat in a large pan. Then add in heavy cream and parmesan cheese. Simmer for 2-3 minutes, until cheese is melted.
- Assemble pasta bake. Pour sauce over noodles and mix. Stir in diced mozzarella (saving about 1/4 cup) and tomatoes. Then pour pasta mixture into the baking dish and top with remaining mozzarella cubes.
- Bake pasta. Bake in oven for 20-30 minutes, or until golden and bubbly. Top with fresh chopped basil. Enjoy!
Look at all that cheese! YUM!
More delicious pasta dishes:
- Creamy Rigatoni
- Cheesy Baked Ziti
- Baked Beef Ravioli
- Spaghetti and Meat Sauce
- Bolognese Sauce
- Spaghetti and Meatballs
Caprese Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound rigatoni pasta , or penne or ziti
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups spaghetti sauce
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2-5 ounces mozzarella cheese , cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 1 cup grape tomatoes , halved
- 3-5 fresh basil leaves , chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a 9x9" baking dish with nonstick spray.
- Cook pasta according to package directions in a large pot of water with 1 teaspoon salt. Once pasta is fully cooked, drain and place back in pot. Drizzle with olive oil.
- In a large pan over medium-heat, warm spaghetti sauce. Add in heavy cream and parmesan cheese and simmer for 2-3 minutes, or until cheese is melted .
- Pour sauce over noodles and mix. Stir in mozzarella (saving about 1/4 cup) and tomatoes. Then pour pasta mixture into baking dish and top with remaining cheese.
- Bake in oven for 20-30 minutes, or until golden and bubbly. Top with fresh chopped basil. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Enjoy!
This was amazing! Thanks for the great family recipe!
Our family loves this recipe. So good! I’ll be adding this to our dinner menu often.