Creamy Tomato Pesto Baked Christmas Pasta
Festive Fare
A creamy tomato pesto baked Christmas pasta that’s perfect for your festive holiday table! I’ve got to be honest, this recipe started out as a vision in my head of how it would look before I developed the recipe. I loved the idea of garnishing a pasta with cherry tomatoes and basil to make a festive, holly berry scene! Cut to me making the sauce for the first time and I couldn’t help but sneak a few bites as I went. It’s somehow fresh from the addition of whole cherry tomatoes while tasting like a sauce that’s been simmering all day from the browned tomato paste and sundried tomatoes. Plus I love the herby notes from the pesto and cheesy pops of mozzarella sprinkled throughout!
What You’ll Need
Ingredients
To make this creamy tomato pesto pasta recipe, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- Mozzarella balls marinated in olive oil and spices
- Shallot
- Cloves of Garlic
- Dried oregano
- Tomato paste
- Vodka
- Cherry tomatoes, halved, reserving a few for garnish
- Sun dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
- Unsalted butter
- Heavy cream
- Pesto
- Salt and pepper
- Parmesan cheese
- Fresh basil
For the exact ingredient amounts, check out the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
Equipment
In order to make this Christmas baked pasta, you’ll need the following pieces of equipment:
- Chopping board and knife
- Measuring cups and spoons
- 9x13 baking dish
- Large frying or saute pan
- Wooden spoon or spatula
- Large pot and colander for cooking the pasta
Recipe Tips
When you make this creamy tomato pesto baked Christmas pasta, here are a few tips to ensure it turns out delicious:
- To work faster, this is a recipe that I strongly recommend measuring and preparing your ingredients ahead of time. This practice is called “mise en place” and can make working in the kitchen feel like a breeze. By having all of the ingredients prepared before cooking, you’re able to focus on the task at hand and not worrying about finding that liquid measuring cup that’s buried in your drawer right when the cream needs to be added.
- Cooking the tomato paste for a few minutes is the secret to a sauce that tastes like it’s been simmering for hours! Letting it darken in the pan with the shallot and garlic helps cook out any raw tomato flavor and adds a savory depth to each bite.
- This dish can definitely be made ahead if needed. Once the pasta and cheese have been assembled in the baking dish, wrap it tight with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Once ready to eat, set the dish out for 20-30 minutes to begin to come up to room temperature and then bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes, until the cheese is melty and the center has warmed through.
Recipe Details
Make the Creamy Tomato Pesto Sauce
Before starting on the pasta, do a bit of prep work! Measure out the ingredients, chop the shallot and garlic, preheat the oven, and set out a baking dish. Once all of the materials and ingredients are in place, start preheating a large frying or saute pan. Add a couple tablespoons of the oil from the marinated mozzarella balls and then the shallots. Let the shallot cook and soften for a few minutes then add minced garlic and dried oregano. Once the aromatics are super fragrant, add the tomato paste and cook until the color begins to darken. Deglaze the pan with vodka and stir to incorporate it into the tomato paste. Let the vodka cook down, cooking out all of the alcohol. Add the cherry tomatoes and sundried tomatoes to the sauce. Stir the tomatoes occasionally and let them cook until the cherry tomatoes begin to break down and become jammy.
While the tomatoes are cooking, boil the pasta according to the package directions, minus two minutes. Before draining the noodles, reserve about one cup of the pasta water to use in the sauce later.
Finish up the sauce by adding in some heavy cream, pesto, and a bit of the reserved pasta water. Let everything simmer for an additional couple minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in some parmesan cheese.
Assemble and Bake the Christmas Pasta
Toss the pasta in the sauce and stir in half of the chopped mozzarella balls. Transfer the pasta to the baking dish and stop with the remaining chopped mozzarella. Drizzle more pesto over the top of the pasta. Bake for about 15 minutes, until the cheese is super melty.
Once the pasta is out of the oven and cooled slightly arrange halved cherry tomatoes and basil leaves to look like holly leaves. Freshly grate parmesan cheese over the entire dish (it looks like fresh snow this way!) and serve immediately. Start your evening with a Christmas Cranberry and Cream Cheese Cracker Spread and finish with a cup of Oat Milk Hot Chocolate with Amaretto for the perfect festive evening!
If you make this creamy tomato pesto baked pasta for Christmas, or any other time of year, be sure to leave a comment or give this recipe a rating - I can’t wait to hear how it goes. As always, tag me on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook in your photos. It makes me feel like we’re getting to cook together!
This post may contain affiliate links, please see the privacy policy for details.
Baked Christmas pasta with creamy tomato pesto sauce. Garnished with cherry tomatoes in the shape of holly leaves for a festive presentation!
- 12 ounces mozzarella balls marinated in olive oil
- 2 tablespoons reserved oil from the marinated mozzarella
- 1 shallot, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- 1/2 cup vodka
- 3/4 pound cherry tomatoes, halved, reserving a few for garnish
- 2 tablespoons sun dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons pesto, plus more for garnish
- salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup parmesan, plus more for serving
- fresh basil, for garnish
Preheat the oven to 350°F set out a 9x13 inch baking dish
Place a large frying or saute pan over medium heat. Pour in 2 tablespoons of the oil from the marinated mozzarella, followed by the minced shallot. Cook the shallot until it begins to soften, about 3-5 minutes. Add 3 cloves of minced garlic and ½ teaspoon of dried oregano to the pan and stir to combine. Let cook until very fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add 6 oz of tomato paste to the pan, and stir to combine with the shallot and garlic. Let the tomato paste cook until it begins to deepen in color, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Deglaze the pan with ½ cup of vodka and stir to combine with the tomato paste. Let the sauce cook for one additional minute.
Pour the halved cherry tomatoes, 2 tablespoons sun dried tomatoes, 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter, and ½ teaspoon of salt to the pan. Stir to combine everything together and let the cherry tomatoes cook until they begin to break down, about 7-9 minutes.
While the sauce is simmering, boil the pasta according to the package directions, reducing the cook time by 2 minutes. Before draining the pasta, reserve 1 cup of the pasta water and set aside.
Once the cherry tomatoes have cooked down, pour ½ cup of heavy cream, 2 tablespoons pesto, and ½ cup of the reserved pasta water into the pan. Let the sauce cook for about 2 minutes to allow the cream and pesto to heat through. Taste and season with salt and pepper if desired. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in ½ cup of grated parmesan cheese and about half of the chopped mozzarella balls. Stir to combine everything together
Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and toss everything together so each noodle is coated. Transfer the pasta to the prepared baking dish. Drizzle more pesto over top, if desired, and sprinkle the remaining mozzarella across the top.
Bake the pasta for 12-15 minutes, until the cheese is melty. Remove from the oven and set aside for 5 minutes to cool.
Garnish the pasta with the remaining halved cherry tomatoes, basil leaves, and grated parmesan cheese. Serve warm and enjoy!
