Baked Pesto Pasta With Tomato Cheese Food

CREAMY PESTO PASTA BAKE RECIPE BY TASTY

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!

TOMATO, BASIL AND CHEESE BAKED PASTA

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.

TOMATOES ROASTED WITH PESTO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
• Core the tomatoes and then slice them across (not through the stem) in 1/2 inch-thick slices. Arrange the slices in a single layer on a sheet pan. Drizzle the tomatoes with the olive oil and sprinkle with the oregano, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and the pepper.
• Bake the tomatoes for 10 minutes. Remove them from the oven, spread each slice with Pesto, and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese. Return the tomatoes to the oven and continue baking for 7 to 10 minutes, until the Parmesan is melted and begins to brown. Using a flat metal spatula, put the tomatoes on a serving platter, sprinkle with extra salt, and serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.
• Place the walnuts, pine nuts, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process for 30 seconds. Add the basil, salt, and pepper. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until the pesto is pureed. Add the Parmesan and puree for a minute. Use immediately or store the pesto in the refrigerator or freezer with a thin film of olive oil on top.

BAKED PESTO PASTA WITH TOMATO & CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta.
• Preheat your pot for the tomato sauce over medium heat.
• Add olive oil, then garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes.
• Next add the diced onion, crushed red pepper, bay leaf, and saute for about 5 minutes, or until onion soft and fragrant.
• Add the crushed tomatoes and stir well.
• When tomatoes begin to boil, reduce heat to low, add fresh basil leaves, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Let sauce simmer while you make your pesto (if not using store bought).
• Preheat broiler.
• Add pasta to boiling water and cook until just barely al dente.
• Drain pasta, and toss with 1 cup of your pesto sauce, 1/2 cup parmesan, and 1 cup of the ricotta cheese, be sure to blend well.
• Add pasta to a casserole dish.
• Top with the tomato basil sauce.
• You don't need to use all of the sauce, but rather serve the extra on the side.
• Top casserole with shredded mozzarella cheese.
• Place under broiler for about 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
• **Note:Casserole can be assembled ahead of time, covered with foil, and then reheated in a 350 degree oven until heated through.
• Remove foil for last 5-10 minutes in order to melt cheese.

BAKED PASTA WITH SAUSAGE AND TOMATO PESTO

Steps:

• In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add the sausage and onion.
• Cook, breaking sausage up with a spoon, for about 5 minutes, or until softened, stirring frequently to cook onion evenly.
• Add garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
• Add marinara sauce and reduce heat to medium.
• Simmer for 10 minutes, or until sauce begins to thicken.
• Stir in pesto and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
• Cook penne in a large pot of salted boiling water for about 10 minutes, or until al dente.
• Drain well.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Oil a 9-x-13-inch baking dish.
• Spread a thin layer of sauce over bottom of dish.
• In a large bowl, combine pasta with remaining sauce, the Gouda or mozzarella, 1/3 cup of the Parmesan, and spinach, mixing well.
• Spoon mixture into prepared dish and sprinkle with remaining 2/3 cup Parmesan over top.
• Bake for about 30 minute or until casserole begins to bubble and cheese is browned.
• Serve hot.

TOMATO, BASIL, AND CHEESE BAKED PASTA RACHAEL RAY

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt the water.
• Add pasta and cook for a minute or two less time than package directions say.
• The pasta will soak up more juice and keep on cooking after we drain it, so we need it to be a little undercooked.
• The shells with probably cook for 9 or 10 minutes.
• Preheat a big, deep skillet or a medium saucepan over medium heat.
• Place garlic on a 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 form the skins.
• Throw out the skins and chop up the garlic.
• Remember to keep your fingers curled under and the edge of your knife tilted slightly away from your body.
• Add evoo by pouring a slow stream of it twice around the pan.
• This will be about 2 tablespoons, just enough to coat the bottom of the pan.
• Do not let the oil pour out too fast; you want 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 for another use.
• Cut the other half into thin slices then turn the slices a quarter turn and chop them again.
• Hold the tip of the 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, until the onions are mushy and look cooked, about 5 minutes.
• 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 pepper.
• Preheat the broiler to high and place a rack in the center of the oven.
• Drain pasta shells.
• Add them to a casserole dish.
• Add pesto sauce, ricotta cheese, and a handful of grated parmesan. S.
• tir 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.
• Scatter the mozzarella cheese over the pasta.
• Add a final sprinkle of parmesan 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.

PASTA WITH TOMATO AND ALMOND PESTO (PESTO ALLA TRAPANESE)

Steps:

• A half teaspoon of red wine vinegar and ¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes can be substituted for the pepperoncini. If you don't have a food processor, a blender may be substituted. In step 2, pulse ingredients until roughly chopped, then proceed with the recipe, reducing processing times by half.
• 1. Toast almonds in small skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until pale golden and fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes. Cool almonds to room temperature.
• 2. Process cooled almonds, tomatoes, basil, garlic, pepperoncini, 1 teaspoon salt, and red pepper flakes (if using) in food processor until smooth, about 1 minute. Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula. With machine running, slowly drizzle in oil, about 30 seconds.
• 3. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook until al dente. Reserve ½ cup cooking water; drain pasta and transfer back to cooking pot.
• 4. Add pesto and ½ cup Parmesan to cooked pasta, adjusting consistency with reser.