Caprese Pasta Bake

For my birthday back in May, I got many wonderful gifts. One of them happened to be a Basil plant from Erin. It was two tiny leaves when she gave it to me.

Shazaam!

I kept that bad boy alive, and now I have lots of delicious basil. Today was the first time I've used any, and it is gooooood.

I bought some freshly grated Parmesan today for this recipe. When I opened it tonight, what did I find? MOLD. Some of you know, some of you don't, but I don't do well with mold. I usually make other people open dairy products in my fridge and check them in case of mold. I'm a big mold wuss. So, needless to say I was grossed out, and furious. I am going to go try and get an exchange if I can after this.

Some of you might also know that I do not like raw tomatoes. This is a Caprese dish, which traditionally would consist of tomato, basil, and mozzarella, but tomatoes suck, so I left them out. If you want to add them in, then look up the original recipe. My recipe for a tomato-less (and superior) pasta dish.

Caprese Pasta Bake
from How Sweet Eats

1 lb. penne
1 cup your favorite tomato sauce
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/3 cup heavy cream or half and half
8 oz. mozzarella (4 oz. cubes and 4oz. sliced into rounds)
A handful of fresh basil leaves, chopped (Set some aside for garnish)

1. Preheat oven to 350. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain when done.
2. Heat the tomato sauce in a saucepan until warm. When warm, add in the Parmesan cheese and cream. Continue to heat until thoroughly warmed.
3. Pour the sauce over the pasta, mixing to coat the pasta. Add in the mozzarella cubes and chopped basil. Stir.
4. Transfer pasta to a greased baking dish and top with mozzarella rounds. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.
5. Top with basil and extra Parmesan if desired.