Creamy Caprese Pasta.
Sigh.
It’s Monday.
I know.
You probably don’t have a smile on your face. Maybe you woke up 35 minutes late and couldn’t wash your hair. Dumped hot coffee on your new white shirt? Couldn’t fit into your new white shirt? Or maybe you dropped your last allergy pill – the only thing that keeps you from scratching out your eyeballs in May – down the garbage disposal. Did you reach down there nearly sacrificing your hand, only to feel something slimy and scary in a desperate attempt to limit wheezing and snot and itchiness?
That only means one thing. Someone needs to stop disposing of lime wedges and chicken in the sink.
Mondays are for grown ups. Mondays are for people who wear suits and carry briefcases and use a shoe horn to put on their loafers and rinse with green Scope. In other words, Mondays are for my dad.
But I have some good news!
Monday just got a whole lot more tolerable. Monday just got cheesier and creamier. Monday just got so much better than online shoe shopping, self tanner searching, surviving on salad because you stuffed your face while weekending, and attempting to hold off on the snoring while you take a little desk snooze.
Shucks… I sort of like Monday now. But just today.
So – the pasta!
Am I gonna give it up or what? Chewy noodles swim in a light tomato cream sauce. Creamy chunks of fresh mozzarella hide in between pops of grape tomatoes and ribbons of basil, and melt into a gooey, bubbly binder that falls perfectly atop a slice of crusty, buttery garlic bread. It’s almost as perfect as a toasty French loaf topped with a homegrown tomato round, buffalo mozzarella circle, and a solitary silky basil leaf. But better.
Creamy Caprese Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 pound whole wheat pasta, noodles such as penne work best
- 1 cup of your favorite pasta/tomato sauce
- 1/3 cup heavy cream or half and half
- 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese + more for garnish
- 4 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into cubes
- 1 pint of grape tomatoes, I cut some in half and left some whole
- 1 bunch of fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Boil water and cook pasta according to directions.
- While pasta is cooking, heat tomato sauce over low heat in a large saucepan. Once warm, stir in heavy cream and grated parmesan. Once pasta is done cooking, drain and dump into the sauce, mixing to coat and turning off heat. Fold in mozzarella cubes and tomatoes, then chop 3-4 fresh basil leaves and add them in too. Once combined, spray a baking dish with non-stick spray and pour the entire pasta mixture into the dish. Top with fresh mozzarella rounds. Bake for 25 minutes, or until cheese is golden and bubbly.
- Top with additional fresh basil and grated cheese. Serve with garlic bread. You can also add in chicken, steak or seafood for some protein.
Did you make this recipe?
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I appreciate you so much!
Take that Monday.
280 Comments on “Creamy Caprese Pasta.”
The first time I made this I followed the recipe as stated, plus some sausage. It was okay, but I knew it deserved another shot with some adjustments.
I wasn’t a fan of the texture of the whole wheat noodles, and it also came out a bit dry from a lack of sauce and not enough cheese on top. The second time around I used regular penne noodles, doubled the tomato sauce to 2 cups (left cream at 1/3 C), cubed 8oz of cheese for inside the pasta, and used the remaining 8oz to cover the top. Also sliced, sauteed and added some Aidell’s Cajun Sausage to kick it up a notch. I think I chopped up more basil too.
At any rate, the whole dish was finished off by my friends and I with no problems. It was a hit! Thank you thank you! This will be a good standby for parties and such. So many varieties possible!
Has anyone tried this with a cream sauce like a vodka sauce or even alfredo? I’m curious. :)
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I think I just caught a glimpse of heaven
This was the PERFECT dinner for my first day back at college. AMAZING! Thank you so much!
So yummy! I made this with vodka sauce tonight and it was delish. I added the whole jar of sauce with the cream the recipe calls for. Very good will make again!
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Great recipe! Is it possible to make this dish ahead of time (say the morning of) and keep it in the fridge? Has anyone tried this?
That’s the thing about pasta. You CAN prepare it ahead of time, then just pop it in the oven when you’re ready!
Oh gosh, I forgot to say that this recipe looks delish and the photos even better!
Although I try to stay away from cooking a lot of pasta’s THIS ONE sounds like one I cannot pass up.
Look forward to making it.
Marti
Made it tonight for dinner & it was great! My hubby is a sauce man so next time I’ll double sauce & add more basil. Thanks for the recipe!
P.S. – I love your name!
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Made this and it was very yummy
Tried this over the weekend and it tastes as amazing as it looks. Will definitely try over and over again. I added a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes to sauce, but other than that stuck to the recipe. It was simple to make, inexpensive and delicious. The 3 best things a recipe can offer. Thanks for sharing!
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This pasta looks divine! Would you be willing to share your tomato sauce recipe? I’m always on a hunt for a good sauce recipe, and yours looks great!
My daughter (I’m visiting her in CA) made this for us last night. It was the best pasta dish that I have ever had. I can’t wait to get home and make it for my husband.
I made this tonight and it was incredible. My boyfriend actually makes a fantastic homemade tomato sauce, so we did that..then followed everything else as directed. VERY good and so simple. Thanks. :)
This recipe is absolutely delicious!!! When I got to mix everything together, I wanted to bottle the smell! Now this has become one of my boyfriend’s favorite dishes! Thank you so much!
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This was wonderful! I made it for my roommates and we all loved it! I added a bit more sauce because I am a sauce freak, I cannot wait to make it again!! Thank you for this recipe!!
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I’m making this for our vegetarian friends tomorrow. I think I’ll add kalamata olives for a nice additional twist. Thanks for a great recipe!
awesome.
I’m always looking for new pasta recipes and this one looks delicious. It might just be by next Monday night dinner after reading all of the raving comments about it!
I just made this recipe and I LOVE IT! It might have been the sauce I used, but I would definitely add a little bit more sauce it was a little dry. Or more cheese cause that’s the best part! yum thank you for sharing!
Made a lighter version – swapping out the heavy cream for plain Greek yogurt.
How much greek yogurt did you add? I would like to try this option. Thanks for the great idea.
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wow, delicious :)
Making this for the second time. I’m adding a bit more sauce and chopping up some chicken to throw in. Awesome recipe, thank you!
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I love this recipe. Making it for the first time tonight. The sauce tastes phenomenal and I can’t wait to eat this. I have garlic bread ready to go too.
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Jessica you are my food idol. Love your blog. This recipe was amazing. I replaced cream with 2% plain Greek yogurt. Otherwise followed exactly. Turned out amazing.
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I make this at least four times a month and it is always a huge hit! So easy too !!
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Only just come across your blog – makes easy, delightful reading. Lovely food and artistic photo’s.
oke
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This has become my familys favorite dish, once my husband sees mozerella in the fridge he knows what’s for dinner!
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Done in no time and SO SO GOOD! A definite winner :D