Discover this delicious vegetarian Italian Caprese Pasta Casserole. It perfectly combines pasta, Mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil. A vegetarian casserole where you don't miss the meat because of the delicious combination of cheeses. This provides a simple, healthy, filling meal without meat for a day.
Vegetarian pasta dishes are delicious.
Due to the neutral taste of the pasta, it combines wonderfully with all kinds of other flavors. Tomato, pesto, pure flavors, salty, and I once had a chocolate spaghetti for dessert (not my favorite, but very special).
So, it is easy to make a vegetarian casserole with pasta as a base.
In the summer I like to eat a Caprese salad, you know, the salad with tomato, garlic, Mozzarella, and basil. But why would you only eat it in the summer? You get a really delicious recipe by making a delicious casserole and combining it with pasta. Creamy pasta, juicy tomatoes, melted Mozzarella, and the smell of basil. Let summer come again!
What do you need for a Vegetarian Caprese Mozzarella Casserole?
You will need the following ingredients to prepare this Caprese Pasta Casserole. You can find the correct quantities in the recipe card at the bottom of the blog:
- Pasta: For this casserole, use a slightly larger type of pasta, which will coat the sauce well. For example, use spiral fusilli, hollow elongated penne, or ribbon-shaped tagliatelle.
- Tomatoes: The fresh tomatoes provide flavor.
- Use a tasty tomato such as the Roma tomato.
- Flour, butter, and milk: The basis for the sauce. Start by making a roux by mixing the butter and flour. Then, dilute the sauce with milk and season it.
- Fry the flour-butter mixture for at least two minutes before diluting it with the cold milk. Otherwise, you may get a floury taste.
- Mozzarella and grated cheese: Flavor the sauce and are also used for the topping, which makes it deliciously cheesy.
- Buffalo mozzarella is the tastiest, but cow's milk mozzarella is a good alternative.
- As grated cheese, use a combination of Parmesan cheese and old cheese. They both have a lot of taste.
- Instead of old cheese you could also use Emmentaler or Gruyère Cheese.
- Panko: Panko is the Japanese version of breadcrumbs. It has the advantage that it tastes more crumbly and airy.
- If you don't have panko, you can also use breadcrumbs.
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📖 Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 cups pasta
- 3 tablespoons butter unsalted
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper to taste
- 1¾ cup aged cheese grated
- 1 cup shredded Mozzarella
- 2 pounds tomatoes deseeded and cut into cubes
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- ⅓ cup panko bread crumbs
- ½ oz. fresh basil fresh
Ingredients you need per step are listed below the step in Italic
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to
350 °F or 320 °F - Bring a pan of water to the boil and cook the pasta al dente according to the manufacturer's instructions. Drain it in a colander.5 cups pasta
- In a larger pan (make sure you don't use a pan which is too small, because you are going to add quite a bit), melt the butter.3 tablespoons butter
- Add the flour and stir for about 2 minutes. This is easiest done with a wooden spoon.3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Grab the cold milk and pour it little by little into your roux while stirring with a whisk.2 cups milk
- Add the salt and pepper and bring to the boil.1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes until the sauce is thickened.
- Add half of the aged cheese and mozzarella to the sauce and mix until melted.1¾ cup aged cheese, 1 cup shredded Mozzarella
- Add half of the diced tomatoes and pasta to the sauce and mix everything well.2 pounds tomatoes
- Scoop the pasta mixture to the bottom of the baking dish and spread well.
- In a bowl, mix the rest of the old cheese and mozzarella with the tomato and spread that on the first layer of pasta in the baking dish.
- Mix the panko with the Parmesan cheese and sprinkle over the baking dish as a topping.1 cup Parmesan cheese, ⅓ cup panko bread crumbs
- Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
- Sprinkle the basil on top and serve immediately.½ oz. fresh basil
Notes
- Pasta: Use fusilli, penne or ribbon-shaped tagliatelle.
- Tomatoes: Use a tasty tomato, such as the Roma tomato.
- Roux: Fry the flour-butter mixture for at least two minutes before diluting it with the cold milk. Otherwise, you may get a floury taste.
- Buffalo mozzarella is the tastiest, but cow's milk mozzarella is a good alternative.
- Panko: If you don't have panko, you can also use breadcrumbs.
- Preparation in advance: Make the casserole up to the night before. Cover with foil and store in the refrigerator. Let it come to temperature before you bake it.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator: First, let the leftovers cool to room temperature. You can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Store leftovers in the freezer: You can also pack leftovers airtight and store them in the freezer. This can take up to 2 months. Let the macaroni thaw, covered, in the refrigerator a day before preparation. Take it out of the fridge 30 minutes before preparing it and put it in the oven dish. This way, it can reach room temperature. Heat covered in the oven for 25 minutes (350 °F / 180 °C).
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