Caprese Pesto Pasta Bake.
Caprese Pesto Pasta Bake, a fresh and easy spring dinner the entire family will enjoy. Pasta tossed with slowly roasted cherry tomatoes, basil pesto, burrata cheese, and prosciutto. All baked until the cheese is melty and the prosciutto extra crisp. The perfect spring pasta bake that’s melt in your mouth good. Sure to be a dinner you’ll make on repeat!
This post is sponsored by Pyrex.
I am slightly getting ahead of the season with this caprese pesto pasta, but the springtime tomatoes have arrived, and I was just way too excited! I decided to bake this pasta up for a recent (and very much needed) girl’s night with my mom and little sister.
Lately I have been non-stop cooking. So I really wanted to create something simple, but of course delicious. Something I knew that all of us girls would absolutely love. The very first thing to come to mind was a pasta bake. Growing up my dad’s Friday Night Pasta Bake was my very favorite dinner. Such a delicious family dinner at the end of a long school week. To this day it is still one of my favorites.
If it would have just been me, I probably would have baked that up. Instead, I decided to get creative with the ingredients I had on hand. I chose ingredients I knew all of us would love. Enter in pasta, fresh tomatoes, plenty of basil, and burrata cheese.
Basically, all the Gerard girl’s favorites. Anyone else feel the same?
Asher, my little sister is a relatively good eater, and loves tomatoes, spinach, and basil. Since she wiggled her way into our girl’s night, I knew I’d include these in our pasta. I love that Asher will eat color. Sure she loves the typical kid’s foods, like pasta with butter, and good ole’ ramen, but she’s also big on things like carrots, tomatoes, and spinach.
I like to make her try something new every time she comes to hang out at the studio with me…I just need to bribe her with a little chocolate first.
Once I decided on a pasta bake for our dinner of choice, I knew right away that my new Pyrex Deep baking dish would be perfect to show off the beautiful layers and colors of this pasta. The new Pyrex Deep baking dishes are the deepest glass baking dish out there. They hold up to 50% more than any current glass bakeware. Obviously, they’re perfect for things like pasta bakes and lasagna, but I can’t wait to make my favorite layered desserts in these baking dishes too! You can find Pyrex Deep baking dishes at Walmart and Pyrex.
My favorite part about these deeper baking dishes though? None of my fillings bubble out over the sides of the dish during baking. Something I always have an issue with. Since I’m often feeding a crowd over here, I tend to really pack ingredients into whatever I am baking. Especially when it comes to things like mac and cheese, lasagna and roasts. No bubbling over, means zero mess in the oven.
Yes, please.
This pasta dish comes together pretty quickly. And I love that it uses fresh cherry tomatoes, which finally started popping up in the store a couple of weeks ago. So excited about these early spring tomatoes.
The first step is to roast the tomatoes. Since these are early spring tomatoes they’re not as sweet as a summer tomatoes. Therefore I love bringing out their sweetness by pan roasting them with olive oil, garlic, and herbs. This is one of my favorite ways to prepare tomatoes – so good.
While the tomatoes are roasting, boil you favorite short cut pasta. Toss the pasta with basil pesto, spinach, and some mozzarella or burrata cheese. Next, add in the cherry tomatoes, spoon everything into that Pyrex Deep baking dish, and add a bit more cheese. Then top with prosciutto (which you can easily leave off if you’d like to keep this vegetarian) and bake! Twenty minutes later the cheese will be melted, the prosciutto crisp, your kitchen will smell like herby goodness, and dinner will be done!
This was so fun to make, as I had Asher in the kitchen with me the entire time. She came over a little early, to help me throw this together and to set up for our movie. Plus, she really just wanted to snag some Malley’s Chocolate and begged me to make her a virgin margarita, her favorite…
This was the perfect pasta for our girl’s night. It’s a pasta dish that EVERYONE can and will love. And it’s so pretty too!
Now, the serious question, what is your girl’s night cocktail and movie of choice? Mom and I made these strawberry palomas We all watched Beauty and the Beast (because neither Asher nor I had ever seen it!).
Please, please, please let me know. We need new ideas for our next pasta and movie night!
If you make this caprese pesto pasta, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Caprese Pesto Pasta Bake
Pasta tossed with slowly roasted cherry tomatoes, basil pesto, burrata cheese, and prosciutto. All baked until the cheese is melty and the prosciutto extra crisp!
Ingredients
- 3 cups cherry tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced or grated
- 1/3 cup fresh chopped herbs, such as thyme or oregano (I like a mix of both)
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 pound short cut pasta
- 3/4 cup basil pesto, homemade or store-bought
- 2-3 cup fresh baby spinach
- 8 ounces shredded or torn mozzarella or burrata cheese
- 3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto (optional)
- fresh basil, for serving
Instructions
-
1. 1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a 9 x 13-inch Pyrex Deep baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Cover the bottom of your Pyrex dish with olive oil. In the pan, toss together the cherry tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, herbs, crushed red pepper flakes, and a large pinch of salt and pepper. Transfer to the oven and roast for 10-15 minutes or until the tomatoes collapse.
3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and add the pasta back to the pot. Immediately toss with the pesto, spinach, and half of the cheese. Add the tomatoes and all the juices from the tomatoes and gently toss to combine. Season with freshly ground black pepper and salt. Transfer the pasta back into the Pyrex dish used to roast the tomatoes.
4. Evenly sprinkle the remaining cheese over top the pasta, arrange the prosciutto, if using, over the cheese. Transfer to the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the prosciutto is crisp. Remove from the oven and garnish with fresh basil. Enjoy!
{This post is sponsored by Pyrex. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep Half Baked Harvest cooking!}
Our Favorite Recipes
Moroccan Dip Platter.
what a great lunch idea!!
YES! I hope you try this Ruth! xTieghan
Caprese anything is a good idea for me – and a pasta bake!? Um, YUM! I cannot wait to try!!
Thank you Alexandra! Hope you love the pasta bake!
Asher and I are kindred souls, as I love spinach, tomatoes, and carrots! I have everything on hand, so I will make this dish
tonight! And the Pyrex Deep baking dishes are long, long overdue. I’ve never been able to bake anything of a decent quantity to fit into a regular baking dish, so i will definitely be purchasing at least one of the new baking dishes! Happiness all around!
One in the same! I hope you absolutely love this recipe, Elizabeth! Thank you so much! xTieghan
Light and fresh … that’s for sure the name of the game for the Spring Season. And boy am I ready for it! The colors in this pasta salad make me long for warmer weather which hopefully is just around the corner! BTW … love the recipe for strawberry palomas. A perfect cocktail for a girls get-together. Thanks for sharing. .
Thank you Linger! xTieghan
OMG thank you for using ROTINI! I always forget that it exists and it’s so fun and holds sauce so well! Can’t wait to try this.
Thank you Jo! xTieghan
I love everything caprese! This pasta bake looks perfect!
Thank you Laura! xTieghan
great dish! well worth taking the carb hit for this one! thank you
Thank you Sabrina! xTieghan
It’s like Dad’s Friday Night Pasta part 2. Love it. And I did not know about these deep dishes! I have 3 kids, 2 of which are teenage boys. I neeeed that extra space!
YES! I am so glad you liked this recipe, Amber! Thank you! xTieghan
Made this last night – very fast to assemble and delicious! Everyone went back for seconds – true sign of a recipe that will be used more than once in this household. I did add more spinach as it reduces so much (6-8 cups) and I used about 8 cups tomatoes because the more tomato sauce the better! Thanks for another brilliant HBH recipe!!!
I am so glad you tried this and loved it! Thank you Susan! xTieghan
Thoughts on this being a pasta salad instead and just not baking it at the end?
Hey Jessica! That is a great idea! Just toss the post up with tiny mozzarella balls or burrata and serve as a pasta salad. that will be so good! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
This is my first HBH dish, and it turned out great! So tasty! We planned to grill skirt steak this evening, and I decided to whip this up because of a vegetarian joining our dinner. The dish was a hit with everyone!
Wow I am so glad this turned out amazing for your first recipe of mine! Thank you! xTieghan
This looks good. Any ideas on a veggie option to sub for proscuitto if we Want to add some crispiness?
HI! I recommend tossing 2 slices of torn ciabatta bread with olive oil and salt. They will bake atop the pasta and become crisp and delicious! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Has anyone tried freezing this before baking? I’d like to make it for someone and give them the option to freeze, but I’m unsure if you’d bake it for the same time after thawing? Looks amazing!!
HI there! I have not tried this, but I am sure that would be just fine. I would thaw overnight in the fridge and then bake as directed. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
This looks so amazing! I don’t have a Pyrex Deep baking dish, and my birthday isn’t until June! Any suggestions on how to make do in the meantime?
HI there! YOu can use any baking dish you have that is similar to a 9×13 inch baking dish. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Wow, this is so unique! Sounds incredible, can’t wskd to try. Pinned!
Thank you so much Jess! xTieghan
Aah, this is very similar to a pasta bake I make often, except I use goat’s cheese instead of mozzarella/burrata, you should try that 🙂
Wow yes I will try that! I hope you try this one as well, Sarah! Thank you! xTieghan
We almost invited dinner guests when I made this but I’m so grateful we did not. With guests, my husband and i would not have eaten this until we nearly exploded, it was that good!! This was easy to make after being out all day and so very enjoyable to sit and savor. I’ll be making this frequently.
That is so amazing! I am so glad you both loved this recipe, Priscilla! Thank you! xTieghan
Made this and it was amazing! We used prosciutto which was super yummy and crispy but we ate it all in one sitting. Do you suggest another kind of meat to use for leftovers? I was thinking maybe spicy Italian sausage crumbles.
Italian sausage will be so delicious! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Loved this recipe! I made this in my large cast iron (sorry, Pyrex ☺️) and we all thought it was delicious, including my 9 month old!
Love that! Thank you so much Chelsea! xTieghan
This was so flavourful and made an outrageous amount (this is a good thing- lunches for the week!). I tried the bread hack I saw on your insta stories to make this vegetarian and it was perfect! I wish I could find buratta here but the shredded mozzarella was delicious. Will definitely keep this one on standby for family dinner nights!
Perfect! I am so glad you enjoyed this Laura! Thank you! xTieghan
This was delicious! I forgot to buy prosciutto so added the bread cubes and it was soooo good! Taking some leftovers to work to share with my coworker who loves your stuff!
Thank you Brittany! xTieghan
I made this last night and it was amazing! Such a treat! And lots of leftovers 🙂 Thanks for all your wonderful recipes! I posted a picture under Nevernuff on Instagram!
Thank you Jane! xTieghan
Made it for the first time today, so light and delicious! Will definitely make again
Thank you Arlene! xTieghan
Just made this and it’s sooo good!! Quick question: Should I lower the oven temp when I pop it back in with the pasta? Noticed the spinach really wilted and got bitter right away. I had to take it out and didn’t have enough time for the burrata to melt (still good though!) thanks!
HI Nic! I don’t lower the oven temp, but it’s possible your oven runs a bit hotter than mine? Next time just reduce the temp to 375 if you think that might work better for you. Please let me know if you have any other questions. So glad you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
I cannot wait to try this! My bf is not a fan of cherry tomatoes… any idea what I can sub in place of them? Thanks for all of your awesome recipes!
Hi there! Use a vegetable he loves. Anything will work, broccoli. cauliflower, asparagus, bell pepper! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
I made this last night for 2 dozen people. It was a huge hit. I didn’t use her pesto recipe, just my intuition pesto. I also made some bruschetta for the side. This has become my favorite blog for recipes!
So glad you’re loving this Rose! Thank you! xTieghan
I save this recipe for when we have dinner guests because it is easy and delicious! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you so much Allie! xTieghan
Can you reheat this in the microwave? I want to bring leftovers to work!
Hi there! Of course you can reheat in the microwave! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
I loved this recipe! Although it looks and tastes decadent, it is so, so, so easy to make. I love the hint of spice from the red pepper flakes and how crispy the prosciutto gets. I added a little less pesto and a touch of pasta sauce. Keep them coming!!!!
Thank you Ally! xTieghan
Just made this last night and it was delicious! So easy and roasting the tomatoes in the olive oil with the garlic and herbs first really gives it so much flavor. Will definitely make this again!
I am so glad you loved this! Thank you Jackie! xTieghan
Love this recipe! We made it with fresh pasta (pre-cooked in boiling water for just 1 minute) and without proscuitto and it was so good. I’m now obsessed with pesto and burrata. I’d love to make this for guests on a weeknight – I’m wondering if you think it could be put together the night before and baked the day of?
HI! Yes, you can assemble this the night before and then bake off before eating. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I am so glad you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
I prepared this last night for dinner and it was a huge HIT. My teenage son especially loved this dish. He immediately asked if it was from your website and he requested that I make it again soon! I added sun-dried tomatoes and little mozzarella balls (in addition to the burratta on top). HUGE HIT!
Thank you for offering such fresh and delicious dinner options. You have rescued me on several occasions when I could not figure out what to prepare for dinner. You really are a culinary genius!
This is so amazing to hear! Thank you for trying this, Denise! xTieghan
This was so quick and easy, and more importantly, so delicious! I couldn’t find Burrata at the store but substituted with bocconcini and it turned out great.
Love your blog, Tieghan. Great recipes, great pictures and great stories. You’re making me look like a pro in the kitchen and I am forever grateful!!
Thank you so much Anna-Maria! So glad you are enjoying my recipes! xTieghan
I am not the one that cooks a lot in our home but when I do I have to follow a recipe. I can’t just whip stuff up and have it actually taste good. This recipe has become a go to and it isn’t difficult to make or have too many odd ingredients. Love it!!!
Thank you Karin! xTieghan
Simple to make and very tasty!
Thank you Natalie! xTieghan
This was a huge hit in our house! I commute almost 4 hours daily, so I”m always looking for make ahead recipes that aren’t too heavy and reheat well. This can be challenging in the hot humid summer, but this fits the bill. Thanks so much for your contibution to my familiy’s dinners!
Wow that is so much! so glad this recipe worked out well for you Lynn! Thank you! xTieghan
I made this again tonight for the second time. The first time I struggled with getting the pesto, spinach and cheese all mixed in with the pasta. I decided to try a different approach and it worked out much better. After I roasted the tomatoes, I added the spinach and let it bake for another 5 minutes. Then when my pasta was ready, I just added the pesto. Mixed it all together in the Pyrex, then finished with the cheese and prosciutto. This dish is so yummy and I love making it! Thank you Tieghan
So amazing to hear! Thank you Martha! xTieghan
We made this for dinner last night with lots of homemade pesto and IT. WAS. AMAZING. HBH is seriously the best cookbook and food blog out there! Every single recipe has been incredible-thank you! Can’t wait for the new book!
You are so kind! Thank you so much for trying this, Jessalyn! Also, hope you love the new book!! xTieghan
So good! Definitely a dinner I will have on repeat. Love that it can feed my boyfriend and I for two nights.
Yes so perfect! Thank you so much Kassy! xTieghan
Thank you for your amazing recipes! This is my go to weeknight dinner, but my husband and I are trying the low carb thing. Can you do this with zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash, and if so do you have any tips!?
Hi Alisa! I would recommend using spaghetti squash. I think that could be great. I’d cook 1 medium to large spaghetti squash (or 2 small squash), scape out the strands of squash and then use in place of the pasta. That will be so good!! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
I commented before but just wanted to let others know that this recipe freezes very well! I’ve frozen it twice and it’s been delicious. I either thaw overnight in the fridge and bake at 375F for 20min, or bake from frozen at 375F for 1h. Both versions are great!
Thank you! xTieghan
My husband and I love this dish!!! We make it at least twice a month! I have even forgot the spinach, and it’s still fantastic!
That is so great! Thank you Erica! xTieghan
This was a real winner tonight, and beautiful on the table. Bonus, we have leftovers to tackle tomorrow’s busy after school schedule. Thank you!
Thank you so much Kat!! xTieghan
This looks AMAZING! Do you think I could use chick pea pasta instead?
Hi there! I am sure chickpea pasta will be great! Fun idea! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
Delicious and quick to prepare!!
Thank you so much Hilary! I am glad it turned out so well for you! xTieghan
This dish looks amazing, nudging from the comments it is fantastic!! Have you or anyone else tried to make it with spaghetti squash or zoodles? I am trying a low carb diet and have cut pasta. Thoughts?
Hi Terran! I have not tried it, but if you do please let me know how it turns out for you! xTieghan
So I am not halving the tomatoes before roasting?
Hey Kim,
Correct, no need to halve the cherry tomatoes. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This was delicious! I added kalamata olives to the recipe and thought it was a great touch. Thanks for this!!
Thank you Emily! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
This was amazing! My husband and son both loved it! I also added a couple of tablespoons of chopped sun dried tomatoes, but other than that I followed the directions exactly. I used burrata cheese and left out the prosciutto, and it was so so good. Thanks for this great recipe
I am so happy to hear that, Mandi! Thank you so much for trying this recipe! xTieghan
I made this tonight and it was seriously delicious, I did not want to stop eating it, lol! I had to tweak it a little based on what I had on hand. I didn’t have prosciutto or spinach so I omitted both. I used dry herbs instead of fresh, black truffle buratta instead of regular burrata, and a jar of Rao’s basil pesto instead of home-made. My pasta was more then al dente so I only baked in the over for 10 minutes. Quick and easy to make and absolutely delicious!! Thanks for this recipe!!
Hey Kimberly,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xTieghan
Would love for you to share your virgin margarita recipe!! I have tried to master one while pregnant and couldn’t ever get it right… thanks! Can’t wait to try this pasta recipe 🙂
Thanks! I’ll add to my list Casey!