Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 40 mins
Rest Time 5 mins
Total Time 55 mins
Cooking Method: ,
Cuisine:
Courses:
Difficulty: Intermediate
Servings: 6
Best Season: Winter
Description

Baked Christmas pasta with creamy tomato pesto sauce. Garnished with cherry tomatoes in the shape of holly leaves for a festive presentation!

Ingredients
  • 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
Instructions
    Make the Tomato Sauce
  1. 1

    Preheat the oven to 350°F set out a 9x13 inch baking dish 

  2. 2

    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.

  3. 3

    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.

  4. 4

    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.

    5. Cook the Pasta and Finish the Sauce
  5. 5

    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.

  6. 6

    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

    7. Bake the Pasta
  7. 7

    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.

  8. 8

    Bake the pasta for 12-15 minutes, until the cheese is melty. Remove from the oven and set aside for 5 minutes to cool.

  9. 9

    Garnish the pasta with the remaining halved cherry tomatoes, basil leaves, and grated parmesan cheese. Serve warm and enjoy!

Read it online: https://lauralovestocook.com/recipes/creamy-tomato-pesto-baked-christmas-pasta/