One of the challenges I have developed, as I grow my culinary knowledge and experience, is that sometimes simple is just plain good. I love to think through recipe ideas and develop flavors over a couple of days for certain dishes. You know, the old adage that many dishes are better the next day. This concept is quite true. So is its corollary – simple and easy is good too (I just made that up).
When my daughter and I were putting this dish together, I had the Casserole Connection audience in mind. This is a very useful website with many recipes and a lot of easy recipes for busy people or for home cooks just learning to cook.
If you have fresh ingredients including herbs and/or spices, you can create great flavor and a very tasty dish in no time. This Pasta Pesto Bake is an example of a very tasty dish you can whip up in no time. Now, I made my own Pesto (second pesto link) which maybe added 2 or 3 minutes to the prep time of this dish. I also used up my Pesto Compound Butter I had made but this step is not necessary though it certainly deepened the flavor. You can easily buy pesto at the store, and then this Pasta Pesto Bake becomes a 5 ingredients recipe.
How easy can this be? Separately make your noodles and put in a baking dish when al dente. Next, combine pesto, tomatoes and tomato sauce and mix it all up. Then pour the noodles into the pesto and tomatoes and mix again. Finish by tossing in a good amount of cheese being sure to mix and put an extra layer of cheese on the top. Throw it in the oven to get a nice browning on the top.
The Recipe
Pasta Pesto Bake
Ingredients
- 1 lb pasta, noodle of choice
- Pesto, mine was homemade – see link – but you can buy in store too
- 1 – 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes
- 1 – 29 oz can of tomato sauce
- 1 – 2 cups of mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Prepare the noodles per the box instructions. Drain and add to the baking dish.
- If the pesto is not store bought, see link in post.
- Add the pesto and compound butter to the cooked noodles. Mix well.
- Add the tomatoes and the tomato sauce and mix well.
- Finish by adding the cheese in 2 steps. Mix a little into the whole dish but put the majority on the top to get that crisp cheese topping.
- Bake in a 325 degree oven for 5 minutes. Just to get a good melt on the cheese.
- Then, turn the oven to high broil and brown the cheese.
- Serve and enjoy!
Noodles in Baking Dish.
Pesto & Pesto Butter Added.
Tomatoes Added.
Tomato Sauce Added.
Cheese Added.
Plated.
Responses
comments – I answer every one.
This sounds like a delicious pasta bake! Love the short ingredients list and I can just imagine how great it would all taste 🙂
Nicole, you need to give it a try sometime.
Peter, this is just the perfect comfort bite right here! Thanks for the inspiration.
Thank you very much Suzy.
I love this idea! I just made some spinach pesto and have some leftover – will definitely try this out.
I have to try adding ingredients to pesto like you have mentioned above.
I love anything pasta and the added pesto to this dish elevates it to an entirely different level. Great job!
Thx Dan.
Simple sometimes is the best…I love this! We make our own pesto all summer long and freeze as much as we possibly can! My family will love this and I will definitely be trying it! Pinned!
I did not know you could freeze pesto. I will have to try that.
This sounds delicious! I love pesto, and pretty much anything covered in melted cheese. Pinned!
Thx Leia.
I love the simplicity; I love the flavors; I love pasta!! This recipe is a triple win!
Sometimes simple is good. Thx Susie.
I adore pesto!! Green gold in our home! I have some summer batch in the fridge, have to make your recipe, looks fantastic! Nettie
Love it. Green Gold. I will have to use that one.
I love a good cheesy pasta bake and the homemade pesto must make it even better. Great recipe.
Cheese makes everything better.
Anything with pesto is fantastic! Love the flavor…and you topping it with cheese. WOW!!
Thx Jenny.