Creamy Pasta Bake With Cherry Tomatoes And Basil Recipes

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add penne and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of cooking water.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and cook onion until soft and translucent while penne is cooking, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds. Stir in tomato sauce and tomato paste and cook until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Add cream and Parmesan cheese and season with salt, pepper, and sugar.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a baking dish.
• Stir some pasta cooking water into the sauce and add cooked penne. Remove from heat and stir in cherry tomatoes, 1/2 the mozzarella cheese, and basil. Pour penne mixture into the prepared baking dish and cover with remaining mozzarella cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is melted, about 20 minutes.

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt the water. Add small shell pasta and cook the pasta to al dente doneness which means that the pasta will still have a bite to it or be a little chewy. The pasta will soak up more juice and keep on cooking after we drain it, so we need it to be a little under cooked. The shells will probably cook about 9 or 10 minutes.
• Preheat a deep, big skillet or a medium sauce pot over medium heat.
• Place garlic on the cutting board and place the flat of your knife on top of each clove. Carefully give the garlic a whack with the palm of your hand to separate the cloves from the skins. Throw out the skins and chop up the garlic. Remember to keep your fingers curled under and the edge of your sharp, chef's knife tilted slightly away from your body.
• Add extra-virgin olive oil to the pan by pouring a slow stream of it twice-around-the-pan. This will be about 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil just enough to coat the bottom of the pan. Do not let the oil pour out too fast. You are looking for a slow, steady stream. Add the garlic to the oil. To chop the onion, cut the ends off and cut the whole onion down the center. Wrap half and save it. Cut the other half into thin slices then twist the slices a quarter turn and chop them again. Hold the tip of knife on the cutting board and lift the back of the knife up and down over the onion to make the pieces really small. Add the chopped up onion to the garlic and oil. Cook, stirring a lot, 5 minutes until the onions are mushy and look cooked.
• Add the tomatoes to the onions and stir. When the tomatoes come to a bubble, reduce the heat under the sauce to low. Stir in basil pieces to wilt them. Season the sauce with salt and peppe, to your taste.
• Preheat your broiler to high and place a rack in the center of the oven.
• Drain pasta shells. Add them to a flameproof casserole dish. Add pesto sauce, 1 cup of ricotta cheese and a handful of grated Parmigiano, too. Stir carefully and coat the hot pasta with the pesto and cheeses. Pour the hot tomato and basil sauce over the pasta, as much as you like. You can always serve a little extra at the table, to pass around. Shred up some mozzarella cheese with a grater and scatter it over the pasta. Add a final sprinkle of Parmigiano to the mozzarella as well. Place the casserole under the broiler in the middle of oven, 10 to 12 inches from the heat. Let the cheese melt and bubble on top, 3 to 5 minutes.

Steps:

• To make the pesto, mix basil, garlic, pine nuts, parmesan, cold water, heavy cream, salt, and pepper in a food processor for about 30 seconds. Add in olive oil. Process until combined, set aside.
• Cook fusilli to very al dente, or about 3-4 minutes before the package instructs for cook time, then drain pasta.
• Halve cherry tomatoes.
• In a skillet or casserole pan, mix fusilli, cherry tomatoes, and pesto.
• Top with grated parmesan and mozzarella balls.
• Bake at 400° Fahrenheit for 10-15 minutes, or until mozzarella has melted.
• Garnish with additional parmesan and fresh basil. Serve immediately.
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350ºF.
• Cook chicken in large nonstick skillet on medium heat 5 to 6 min. or until done. Add vegetables; cook and stir 2 to 3 min. or until heated through.
• Whisk Neufchatel and pasta sauce until smooth; gradually whisk in broth. Add to skillet; cook and stir 3 min. Stir in pasta and mozzarella. Spoon into 2-qt. casserole sprayed with cooking spray; cover.
• Bake 15 min. Meanwhile, mix cracker crumbs, Parmesan and butter.
• Stir casserole; top with crumb mixture. Bake, uncovered, 5 min. or until topping is golden brown.

Steps:

• Heat teaspoon of oil over medium-high heat.
• Add onion and sauté until starting to brown.
• Add garlic and sun-dried tomatoes; sauté 3 more minutes.
• Add tomatoes, pepper, and other herbs. Stir well, reduce heat, cover and simmer about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook pasta according to directions.
• Add cream cheese, milk, and parmesan to tomato pot and melt over low heat until cheeses are incorporated.
• Add chicken and drained pasta, and mix until blended.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C).
• In a large bowl, mix together the crushed tomatoes, water, olive oil, basil, oregano, garlic, salt, pepper, and fusilli.
• Pour the pasta mixture into a greased roasting pan and smooth the top into an even layer.
• Line the top of the mixture with the sliced tomatoes and sprinkle with salt.
• Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes, until the pasta is fully cooked. Serve and sprinkle with garnish of choice.
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400. Halve tomatoes and garlic cloves and toss with olive oil and balsamic (to taste - probably just a few dashes) in a baking dish.
• Combine bread crumbs, parmesan, and salt and pepper to taste. Spoon mixture evenly over tomatoes.
• Roast mixture for 30-40 minutes or until mixture is bubbly, browned, or slightly thickened.
• Meanwhile, in a large pot of salted water, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain well.
• Add pasta to the tomato mixture and toss with fresh chopped basil.