Last night Brandon and I had a Monday night date (at home). We had wine, we had laughs, and we had super satisfied bellies!
We made a super simple recipe, which contained REAL ingredients, and is sure to appease even the hungriest appetite; Creamy Caprese Pasta by Jessica from How Sweet It Is Blog. I know I showcase A LOT of Jessica’s recipes but her pictures are totally insane and leave me drooling every time I visit!
I mean, really. Doesn't that look incredible?
photo courtesy of Jessica from How Sweet It Is.
Start by making a BIG salad to coincide with this delicious pasta dish!
- Boil some 100% whole wheat penne.
- Make sure to use good quality cheese!!
Make the sauce....
Throw everything together...(another of Jessica's photos. obviously.)
Pour in a dish and bake until it looks like this...we didn't use that much cheese, so mine never looked quite like that!
Plate and enjoy! [Now scroll back up and look at Jessica's photo (I didn't even want to show my photo) because you WILL end up printing out this recipe and trying it tonight!
Creamy Caprese Pasta
- 1 lb 100% whole wheat penne pasta
- 2 cups of your favorite tomato sauce
- 2/3 cup organic heavy cream (I’m an organic kind of girl)
- 2/3 cup parmesan cheese
- 4 oz fresh mozzarella, cubed (GOOD QUALITY! Kraft won’t cut it!)
- 1 pint of grape tomatoes (even better if you can get them from your garden or local Farmers’ Market!)
- 1 bunch of fresh basil leaves
Preheat oven 350 degrees. Boil noodles according to package directions.
Meanwhile, chop up your veggies and cheese and also make a BIG salad! Then heat your tomato sauce over low heat until warm; add cream and parmesan cheese. Stir well.
Once pasta is finished, drain and pour sauce over the noodles. Then add the mozzarella and basil. Stir well. In a 9 x 9″ baking dish, pour the pasta and sprinkle with more mozzarella and parmesan cheese (as you like). Bake ~20-25 mins. Plate and top with more basil, as you wish!
Nutritional Profile: This is a dish that was meant to be eaten mindfully and savored to the very last bite. Scoop yourself a small bowl, eat a big salad, have 4 oz of wine…and don’t think twice about it! That’s my kind of indulgence!
QUESTION: What is YOUR favorite indulgence?
wow! these look so yummy!!:) thank you for sharing this.
Date nights at home on a weeknight are the BEST. Looks like you and Brandon had a lovely meal and a great evening! All the best Erin!!!
This looks amazing!
I just love fresh basil. It really adds a whole lot to a pasta dish!
I am definitely gonna make this.
mmm, amazing!! i’m loving raisins in my salads recently. can’t get enough
This pasta looks so amazing. Im in love with caprese anything, so I know the second I make this its going to become a giant addiction.
Nice!! Looks great!
YUM!!! I made her caprese dip which is very much the same ingredients and it was amazeeee! She rocks!
If it has cheese…it gets my vote
I make something similar all the time and it never looks pretty at all =) but man is it delish!!!! <3 your photo is better than mine would ever be =) tah-rust me!
I better not show this to Michael! He is obsessed with cheese and I never buy it for him haha…he would die over this recipe!!!!!
PS–I totally remembered reading your 7 links after I posted your name ;/
I love cheesy pasta. It is a vice for me and now that I can’t eat dairy it is an even worse temptation.
Yum! I enjoy making Italian food at home on the weekends. It’s an indulgence, but it’s waaaay healthier than restaurant meals. Plus, my lasagna is better anyway.
I spied this recipe on Jess’s site when she posted it and it has definitely been on my mind to try it out – I’m just afraid I won’t be able to stop at one bowl!!! Looks delish!
I remember when she made this! Looks incredible… I’m a huge fan of marinara and vodka sauce on my pasta when looking for a good comfort food.
This looks so delicious! I love pasta so so much! You totally have me drooling over here!!
I made a caprese style egg frittata that turned out pretty good last night! You can’t go wrong with tomatoes, cheese & basil!
YUM!!! My favorite indulgence would be chinese food or ice cream!
Looks delicious! Biggest indulgence is cheese and wine…we love both — oh so good! xoxo from Trinidad
I remember seeing this on Jessica’s blog and totally drooling. Indulgent dinners are the best kind from time to time. I plan on making one tonight (shrimp & cheese grits), can’t wait!
Looks amazing!! Looking at the pics of the melted cheese and fresh basil is making me hungry!!
Leave it to Jessica to hook us up with such a phenomenal dish