CREAMY CAPRESE PASTA is made with fresh cherry tomatoes, basil & fresh mozzarella covered in a creamy sauce for a dinner you’ll crave!
My family and I love Caprese Salad over the summer. We have had it almost, just almost for every lunch. My son, Aiden loves balsamic glaze just as must as I do. My younger kids are not the biggest fans, well you know because of the large tomatoes slices. As for the fresh mozzarella they all love it. My youngest son, Cannon it eats it by the slices and of course drenched in balsamic glaze as well.
And while over the summer we tend to eat more veggies and fewer carbs for dinner, I was craving pasta. Inspired by our lunch that day we decided to make a twist on a Caprese Salad using pasta and leftover marinara we had from pizza night.
What is great about a pasta dish is that you can never go wrong with cheese, pasta, and sauce. My kids loved this!
Ingredients
- 1 pound your favorite pasta noodles
- 2 cups marinara sauce
- 2/3 cup heavy cream or half and half
- 2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 8-12 ounces fresh mozzarella balls
- 1 pint of grape tomatoes cut in half
- 1/2 - 2/3 cup fresh basil leaves roughly chopped + more for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Cook pasta according to directions.
- While pasta is cooking saucepan add tomatoes sauce and heavy cream over medium heat until it starts to simmer, reduce heat to low and stir in Parmesan cheese. Continuously stir over low heat until the pasta has finished cooking.
- Drain pasta and set back into the large saucepan and add sauce, stir to combine.
- Add tomatoes, fresh Mozzarella balls, I used 12 ounces to make it extra cheesy, but 8 ounces will work as well and 1/2 cup of basil, or more if you desire. Stir to combine. And place right into the oven, if you are using an oven safe sauce pan or spray with cooking oil a baking dish and add pasta to the dish.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese has melted.
- Remove from oven, top with freshly chopped basil and Parmesan cheese.
- Optional garnish - balsamic vinegar glaze, my son and I loved this addition!
Notes
Nutrition
Loved this pasta recipe? Be sure to check out two of our family favorite pasta dishes.
Four Cheese Chicken Pasta Bake
Cris says
What temp should the oven be set? Not seeing that part.
Julie @Real Housemoms says
Oh no! So sorry about that Cris!! The oven should be set to 350 degrees F. Thank you for catching that and letting us know. I’ve updated the recipe card. Have a great day!