Sunday, August 7, 2011

Caprese Pasta Casserole


            Normally, if I was making a tomato-cream sauce, I would be all gung-ho about making it from scratch, simmering it all day, blending it in a blender, etc., but this just works so easily, that I’m okay throwing that all out the window =) This is super easy to do (apart from the chopping), and is really, really, really yummy. We love spaghetti, but this is just enough different and the same.

            This calls for cherry (or grape) tomatoes, and PLEASE don’t substitute regular! Those perfect little tomatoes have so much sweetness when they are baked, and regular tomatoes don’t cut it. Also, I have some OCD tendencies, one of them being that I can’t stomach the yucky, slimy, seed-y parts of the tomatoes, so during naptime I will literally spend half an hour squeezing all that stuff out of my teeny tiny tomato halves. But if it doesn’t bother you, please don’t take the time. I’m weird, and I know it.
Caprese Pasta Casserole

1 lb grape tomatoes, halved (and seeded, if preferred)
4 oz fresh mozzarella
1 bunch fresh basil leaves, chopped
1-2 cups cooked and shredded chicken
2 ½ cups uncooked, whole wheat pasta
1 ¼ cups your favorite tomato sauce
½ cup half and half
*1 tbsp parmesan cheese (optional)

            Sometime earlier in the day, chop (and seed?) the tomatoes. Cook and shred the chicken. Chop half of the mozzarella into very small pieces, so it will be evenly distributed throughout the dish. Slice in the other half of the mozzarella into very thin slices – these will go on top of the casserole. It doesn’t seem like much cheese, but fresh mozzarella is higher in fat, and a little goes a long way, as long as you use it wisely.

            Also chop the fresh basil leaves into small ribbons. The “official” way to do this is chiffonade, which sounds fancy, but is very easy to do and actually easier to do than just randomly chopping the leaves. Once I have the basil cut, I put it in a small plastic bag, and it will keep for a few hours before I have to use it, but it won’t last too much longer.
            Cook the pasta to the doneness you prefer. 2 ½ cups worked great for shell pasta, but if you are using penne or curly pasta, the measurements might have to be a little different to get the right amount. Experiment. 
            Once the pasta is done and drained, heat the tomato sauce in a saucepan over medium heat until it’s warm. Add the half and half and combine. Dump in the pasta, chicken, tomatoes, CHOPPED mozzarella, and the basil leaves, and stir well. 
            Pour into sprayed baking dish, and top with the SLICED mozzarella (and parmesan, if you'd like). 
           Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove and let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.
            Again, not the prettiest picture, but it works =) Couple of notes: this makes about 3 meals for the three (2 ½) of us, especially if we have a salad along with it (which we always do). In my opinion, 1 lb of grape tomatoes is barely enough to get by, but I really, really like tomatoes. I’d love to try adding some cooked mushrooms to this, or maybe some other vegetables, but I haven’t done it yet. Let me know if you do!

            Don’t be put off by the fresh mozzarella and the half and half. The amounts are small enough that the fat content per serving isn’t thrown out of proportion at all. I considered using skim milk instead of the half and half, but the consistency and the flavor just isn’t the same. And 4 oz of mozzarella is the same as half a bag of pre-shredded, or 1 cup. Really not as much as it seems. If you make any other changes and they work, let me know! Enjoy!

1 comment:

  1. That sounds amazing!! I love cooked cherry tomatoes. I will definitely have to try this one! :)

    ReplyDelete