Roasted Cherry Tomato & Pesto Bake
Mar
24
24
This is a perfect quick dinner idea using mostly pantry staples. The pesto can be made ahead and frozen, and the roasted cherry tomatoes are absolutely delicious. I also love this recipe because you can prep it early and finish baking it off when you are ready for dinner. You can also easily make this vegan. I would just swap the Parmesan cheese on top for some Panko breadcrumbs and you can just completely omit the Parmesan from the pesto.
Roasted Cherry Tomato & Pesto Bake
Ingredients
Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
- 2 pints organic cherry tomatoes
- 4-6 cloves organic garlic cloves, whole
- 6-8 fresh basil leaves, whole
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
- 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 3 tbsp good olive oil
Italian Pesto
- 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp lemon zest zest of 1/2 lemon
- 3 oz fresh basil, stems removed 1 small box
- 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly grated
- 2 tbsp lemon juice 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup good extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
- 1/4-1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 tsp Kosher salt
Pasta Bake
- 1 lb Rigatoni or any short pasta
- 1/2 cup Parmigiano- Reggiano
- 2-3 fresh basil leaves for garnish
Instructions
Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
- Add all of the ingredients into a small baking dish and toss making sure the tomatoes are well seasoned
- Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes until the tomato skins are bursting, toss after about 15 mins
Italian Pesto
- Toast the pine nuts over a med flame for 3-5 minutes until slightly golden brown
- Add the pine nuts and remaining ingredients to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth
Pasta Bake
- Preheat the oven to 325
- Cook the pasta according to the package for al dente
- When pasta is ready, strain it and put it back into the hot pan
- Stir in 3-4 tablespoons of the pesto and half of the Parmesan cheese
- Add about 1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest to the pasta in the hot pan and continue to stir
- Transfer the pasta with the pesto sauce to a baking dish
- Add the roasted cherry tomatoes along with about 4 tablespoons of the oil from the tomatoes, do not add any of the basil from the roasted cherry tomatoes
- Top the pasta bake with the remaining Parmesan cheese and bake at 325 for about 20-25 minutes until the cheese begins to slightly brown and bubble
- Garnish with fresh basil
Notes
To make this vegan, omit the Parmesan from the Pesto and add 1 teaspoon of nutritional yeast.
Use a breadcrumb topping for the pasta bake instead of the Parmesan by tossing 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1/8 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 cup of Panko bread crumbs together and sprinkling over the top of the pasta.
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