Basil Paste Recipe
Creamy Pasta Casserole

This delicious recipe is just one example of how you can use basil paste or pesto paste to quickly add flavor to your favorite dishes.

Pesto paste typically comes in a tube resembling a tube of toothpaste. It can usually be found in the fresh produce section of your local grocery store, near the fresh herbs. It may also be found in the pasta or Italian foods aisle. It is a great way to add a burst of fresh basil flavor to a quick-cooking meal like this one.

This recipe will show you one example of how pesto paste can be used to quickly inject great basil flavor into your meals, in this case a pasta casserole. So, if you don't have time to make everything from scratch, given family and work demands, here is a way to make it look like you did.

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. (uncooked) bowtie pasta
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons pesto paste
• 1 teaspoon garlic paste
• 15 oz. ricotta cheese
• 1 cup milk
• 8 oz. fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil for the pasta. When the water is boiling, add a generous handful of salt and the pasta. Cook the pasta according to package directions.

While you are waiting for the pasta to cook, combine the tomato paste, pesto paste, garlic paste, ricotta cheese and milk in a large mixing bowl. Whisk until smooth.

When the pasta is done, drain and add to the ricotta mixture. Toss to combine. Mix in the fresh mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and half of the Parmesan cheese. Transfer the mixture to a buttered, 8-inch square baking pan. Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan cheese over the top and bake, covered, for 30 minutes.

* If you do not have pesto paste, or would prefer to use fresh basil, substitute 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves for the paste.

Other Basil Recipe Dinner Ideas

Hopefully you enjoyed the basil paste recipe. BasilBasics has a whole range of basil dinner recipes you might want to give a try, from chicken dishes to pasta dishes and Thai recipes. There are even basil recipes you can fix quickly when you are pinched for time. These recipes are signified with a "*". Give them a try and we'd love to hear what you think. You can leave your thoughts at the bottom of the page.

Pasta with Chicken and Basil Cream	Pesto Chicken with Basil Cream
Mustard Basil Chicken	Tomato, Basil & Garlic Chicken

Tomato Basil Pasta

Basil Pasta, Chicken and Mushrooms

Linguine, Tomatoes and Basil Cream

Summer Basil Pasta Salad

Breezy Summer Pasta

Tomato Brie Pasta

Basil Pasta Salad with Arugula

Creamy Pasta Casserole

Thai Basil Chicken

Thai Basil Fried Rice

Torta Caprese*	Cheesy Spaghetti Squash*
Tomato, Basil & Feta Omelette	The Roman Panini*
Tomato Basil Hamburgers with Mushrooms*	Quick Broccoli with Basil Mushrooms*

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