Description
Caprese Pesto Orzo Bake brings Mediterranean comfort straight to your kitchen with minimal cleanup. Grab fresh ingredients and watch this simple, cheesy pasta dish come together in one delightful pan that makes dinner a breeze.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1 pound dry orzo pasta
- 23 cups cherry tomatoes
- 1 (8 ounce) jar basil pesto
- 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Supporting Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 shallot, chopped
- ⅓ cup fresh basil, chopped
Seasonings and Garnishes:
- 23 tablespoons sliced peperoncinis
- chili flakes
- kosher salt
- black pepper
Instructions
- Warm your oven to 425°F and grab a 9×13-inch baking dish to prepare your pan for the orzo bake.
- Pour 3 tablespoons olive oil into a large skillet and sauté 23 cups cherry tomatoes with 4 chopped garlic cloves and 1 chopped shallot over medium-high heat for 5 minutes until tomatoes start to burst.
- Sprinkle ½ teaspoon chili flakes, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper into the skillet while stirring your tomato mixture.
- Add 1 pound dry orzo pasta and 1 (8 ounce) jar basil pesto directly into the skillet, stirring to coat every grain of pasta with the fragrant sauce.
- Transfer the entire skillet contents into your prepared baking dish, spreading the mixture evenly across the surface.
- Scatter 23 tablespoons sliced peperoncinis and 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese over the top of the pasta.
- Slide the baking dish into the preheated oven and bake for 18-20 minutes until your cheese becomes golden and slightly crispy at the edges.
- Remove from the oven and let the dish rest for 5 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to settle and the cheese to set.
Notes
- Swap out mozzarella for dairy-free alternatives like nutritional yeast or vegan cheese to make this recipe completely plant-based.
- Fresh basil pesto delivers the most vibrant flavor, but store-bought works perfectly when time is short.
- Toast the orzo in the pan before adding liquid to enhance its nutty flavor and give the dish deeper complexity.
- Choose ripe, sweet cherry tomatoes for the best balance of acidity and natural sweetness in your final dish.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Baked
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5 to 6
- Calories: 447
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 490 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 52 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 19 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg