Shelly's Recipe

Baked Caprese Pasta

Category: Pasta

3 tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp flour
1 1/4 C chicken broth
1 1/2 C milk (Fat content lower than 1% not recommended)
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1/3 tsp kosher salt
1 lb penne pasta, cooked
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1/3 C mozzarella, cubed
1/2 C fresh basil, chopped
1 (8 oz) box Mozzarella Sticks

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Melt butter in a medium-sized sauce pan and add garlic. Let cook until fragrant, about 1 minute and stir in flour, cooking an additional minute.

Whisk in broth and milk, stirring constantly until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and stir in salt and red pepper.

In a 9x13" casserole dish, place 1/2 of the pasta into the bottom and top with 1/2 of the tomatoes, and basil, and all of the mozzarella. Repeat with the remaining pasta, tomatoes and basil.

Pour garlic sauce evenly over the pasta.
Cut each mozzarella stick into a several pieces and place across the pasta in an even layer. Cover with foil.

Bake for 20 minutes, uncover, and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the mozzarella sticks are melted and crisp and the sauce is bubbling.