caprese pasta bake
well, well, well. hello, friends! sorry for my intense cooking hiatus… i made this dish so long ago, but have just been too darn lazy to blog. last night, i cooked dinner again and got a flashback of how much i miss cooking and blogging! i can’t promise the same regularity with posts, but i can promise i’ll try harder :)
this recipe was originally adapted from how sweet it is and was delicious, warm and comforting. i made it this summer but it seems more like a wintry dish to me (or at least a winterized version of a summery, light, fresh caprese salad), so i think this is perfect timing for you to try it! it can easily be made without the turkey if you’re in a meat-free mood, as well.
1/2 box rigatoni pasta (i used a mixture of regular and whole wheat)
1 pound lean ground turkey (optional if you want to keep the dish vegetarian)
2 cups marinara sauce
1/4 cup light cream
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
4 oz. fresh mozzarella (cut into chunks)
1 cup grape tomatoes (cut in half)
appx. 10 fresh basil leaves
after you preheat your oven to 350 degrees and spray a large glass baking dish with nonstick spray, all your prep work can happen in three little stations:
1) cook your pasta according to the instructions on the box.
2) chop up your fresh mozzarella, basil ribbons and grape tomatoes. set aside.
3) brown your turkey in a big skillet (you’re going to be adding lots to the pan, so make sure it’s not crowded). if you’re going to nix the meat, skip ahead…
once the turkey is cooked, you can pour the sauce in until everything is well-mixed and warmed through. slowly stir in the cream and parmesan until it’s mixed in and a pretty pink color!
isn’t this picture so pretty?! first you’re going to layer the pasta in the baking dish, top it with the turkey/sauce mixture and then top it off with most (not all) of your tomato/mozzarella/basil.
give it all a good toss so everything is well coated and distributed and then top off the baking dish with the rest of your tomatoes, basil and mozzarella.
pop it in the oven for about 20 minutes or until your cheese is gooey and melted on top. let it sit for 10 or so minutes until it sets before serving. dig in and enjoy!
click here for a printable version of the recipe!
