Creamy Pasta Bake with Cherry Tomatoes and Basil

Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) package penne pasta

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 onion, finely chopped

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 3 (6 ounce) cans tomato sauce

• 2 tablespoons tomato paste

• ¾ cup heavy whipping cream

• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

• salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1 pinch white sugar

• 1 pound cherry tomatoes, halved

• 1 ¼ cups shredded mozzarella cheese

• 1 small bunch fresh basil, finely chopped

Directions 

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add penne and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of cooking water.

• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and cook onion until soft and translucent while penne is cooking, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds. Stir in tomato sauce and tomato paste and cook until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Add cream and Parmesan cheese and season with salt, pepper, and sugar.

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a baking dish.

• Stir some pasta cooking water into the sauce and add cooked penne. Remove from heat and stir in cherry tomatoes, 1/2 the mozzarella cheese, and basil. Pour penne mixture into the prepared baking dish and cover with remaining mozzarella cheese.

• Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is melted, about 20 minutes

thanks

by 

Julian

T10T