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One Pot 30 Minute Creamy Tomato Basil Pasta Bake. Creamy, spicy, tomato basil pesto sauce made with summer tomatoes, basil pesto, and a touch of red enchilada sauce, then tossed with fettuccine pasta, creamy goat cheese, and melty fontina cheese. Finish the dish off with torn mozzarella and throw it under the broiler to melt the cheese. Two words, SO GOOD. This pasta takes just minutes to make, uses just ONE pot, and has the simplest of summertime ingredients…most of which you may have in your pantry right now! If you’re looking for a new summer pasta dinner, this is it.
This has got to be one of my better recipes.
It’s really just as easy as the title suggest and yet it’s so delicious. Boil pasta, add it right back to that same pot, add all the remaining ingredients, bake 10 minutes, top with fresh tomatoes and basil. Done.
Simple, right? Perfect for a Monday.
By the way, happy Monday! I’m going to skip the details of our snowy weekend since I’m honestly just exhausted/tired of complaining about our weather. All I will say is that I stayed inside, caught up on work, surrounded myself with cherry tomatoes, fresh peaches, corn, and all the fresh berries. Oh, and chamomile and peonies too…thank God for Whole Foods and their flower department.
I also made this creamed corn chicken and shared all the details on Instagram. It was delicious and made for the perfect Saturday night dinner at home.
What did you all do?
So, this pasta. It’s been a long-time favorite. I’ve actually been making this one for years. It was created out of the contents of my fridge and whatever was in my pantry. Since it was summertime way back when I first made this, that meant plenty of tomatoes and plenty of basil. I took those two ingredients, grabbed everything else in my fridge (literally), and about 30 minutes later I had this pasta on the table.
It turned out better than I could have imagined and it’s been a favorite ever since. It’s been a while since I made this, but with summer here I thought it was the perfect time to pull out this oldie, but goodie recipe. Plus, our freezing cold summer weather calls for slightly cozier, but still summery recipes.
Here’s the deal, just because this pasta bake is simple doesn’t mean it’s in lacking flavor. NO. I love a simple recipe, but I hate a flavorless recipe. Which is probably why I don’t have a ton of those 5 ingredient recipes here on HBH (though these 5 ingredient chocolate peanut butter cookies are a favorite). I know that just 5 ingredients are great and all, but I really like textures and layers of flavors, and so much color (all about the color). That can be hard to achieve with only 5 ingredients, you know?
Anyway, my point is – this is simple, but oh so flavorful. What’s the secret? Well, there’s a few, so let’s talk details.
First things first, boil your pasta. Really, you can use any cut of pasta you love. We’re partial to a longer cut of pasta around here, so I typically use fettuccine when making this. Penne or rigatoni would be equally delicious I’m sure.
Boil the pasta, drain, and add it right back to the same hot pot. Once the pasta is drained and added back to the pot, toss in the remaining ingredients. Yes, all ingredients except for the mozzarella go in. The mozzarella will get sprinkled over the pasta just before baking. Adding the sauces and cheese to the hot pot, along with the hot pasta is KEY. The tomato sauce warms the goat cheese, which melts into the sauce, and the basil in the pesto is infused by the heat. This creates a super luscious and creamy pasta sauce.
To create a really intense tomato basil flavor, I use a mix of marinara sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, and fresh cherry tomatoes.
To add a spicy kick? Enchilada sauce. I know, it’s beyond weird, but trust me, the enchilada sauce is that ingredient that makes everyone say YUM. It adds a layer of spicy, smoky flavor that’s a really nice switch-up from a more classic tomato basil pasta. You don’t realize it’s there, you just taste a little bit of a spicy kick. Again, trust me, it’s delicious.
To keep things creamy, I toss in some goat cheese and then swirl in just a touch of coconut milk (or heavy cream). It makes for a baked pasta that’s saucy and super creamy.
Assuming you’re using an oven-safe pot, you can finish off the pasta with a sprinkle of mozzarella cheese and then throw it into the oven for a few minutes to melt. If you don’t have an oven-safe pot, just transfer the pasta to your favorite baker. Either option will work great!
As soon as the pasta comes out of the oven, the sauce will be bubbling, the cheese will be melty, and your house is going to smell amazing. Kind of like summer.
Finish the pasta with all the fresh basil you can find and sweet cherry tomatoes for a layer of light, summery freshness. It’s the perfect complement to the richness of the creamy sauce. Kind of like a salad for your pasta! I mean, kind of…
This pasta bake is a summer weeknight essential. BUT it can also double as a fancy weekend dinner to serve to friends and family too. It’s perfect to prep ahead of time and then bake up just before serving. Add a side salad full of garden produce and you’ll have the perfect summer meal that’s SO EASY, very pretty, and so incredibly DELICIOUS.
Monday night is looking good, am I right??
If you make this one pot 30 minutes creamy tomato basil pasta bake, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Watch the How To Video:
One Pot 30 Minute Creamy Tomato Basil Pasta Bake
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 1338 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry fettuccine or other long cut pasta
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- 1 cup basil pesto, homemade or store-bought
- 1 jar (28 ounce) marinara sauce
- 1/3 cup red enchilada sauce
- 1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, oil drained and chopped
- 4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled (cream cheese or crème fraîche can be used instead)
- 1 cup cubed fontina cheese
- 1/2 cup canned full fat coconut milk, or heavy cream
- kosher salt and pepper
- 6 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, torn
- 2 cups fresh cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain the pasta and add it right back to the hot pot. To the pot add the butter, pesto, pasta sauce, enchilada sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, goat cheese, fontina cheese, and milk/cream. Season with salt and pepper. Gently toss everything together until a creamy sauce has formed, about 3-5 minutes. If your pot is not oven-safe, transfer the pasta to a 9x13 inch baking dish. Scatter the mozzarella overtop the pasta.3. Transfer to the oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, then turn the broiler on and broil for 1 to 2 minutes or until cheese is golden and bubbly.4. Remove from the oven and let sit 5 minutes. Serve topped with tomatoes and fresh basil. Enjoy!
It is good! I enjoyed making it. I accidentally used way less pasta and different kind shorter stubbier kind so it felt like a bunch of little pasta people swimming in a pool of sauce lol. Definitely gonna make this again the right way.
Hi Lia,
Happy Monday!! So glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a bunch for trying it out! xx
My family LOVES this pasta. I sometimes make switches in the cheese for my non-dairy eaters, but dairy free or not this is so good!! I’m not a marinara fan, but you would never know with this pasta! Easily a favorite!
Hey Anyah,
Happy Wednesday!! ❄️ I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xT
I have probably made this ten times now for many people and everyone loves it. My husband and high school aged daughter ask for it on the reg. My college aged niece asked if she could take home the leftovers. I don’t prefer including cherry tomatoes. Thank you, Tiegan!!
Hey Autumn,
Perfect!! I am delighted to hear that this recipe turned out well for you and thanks so much for trying it out! xx
I never felt you rummaging around in my brain and finding my favorite flavors to combine in this recipe But obviously, you did just that because this recipe is everything I love in one insanely delicious dish. Thanks for sharing such a gem. I just made this a few days ago and I’m making it again for friends tonight. Thank you for focusing on flavor and posting recipes that work every time. We appreciate all the work you put in!
Hey Elisabeth,
Happy Sunday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for sharing your review and making it! xxT
I love your recipes and have never been disappointed. I have to admit I looked at this one a number of times and thought hmmm an interesting combination of ingredients then skipped it. I finally made it for my book club. Huge mistake to have skipped it. I definitely should have made it the first time I saw it. Amazing as always. The list is a little long but don’t let that stop you!! Everyone loved it. And one person took some home for her husband who didn’t even wait until the next day. He ate it late that night and loved it as well. Another winner.
Hey Debbie,
Amazing!! I am so excited to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! Have a great weekend☀️
I have made this before and it’s incredibly tasty! One question because I forget since the time I made it, and making it again tomorrow night! In the video, it looks like way less than 2 cups of tomatoes. Is 2 cups too much or true to the recipe?
Hey Olivia,
2 cups is perfect! I hope you enjoy the recipe again:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
This was incredibly delicious! It was another hot day in the desert and I didn’t feel like spending a lot of time in the kitchen and company was coming. Easy to make and quite tasty-everyone raved over it. Followed the directions exactly and it was really delicious and creamy!
Hey Dennis,
Happy Sunday! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe and sharing your feedback! I love to hear that it was enjoyed! ☀️
I just made this for the second time. Good recipe for using basil and cherry tomatoes from my garden, and it’s very versatile. I used the pasta that I had (small shells) and cut the amount in half (which I always do – I’m only cooking for one). I also added 1 – 1 1/2 cups chopped rotisserie chicken and some chopped artichoke hearts. Sooooo good! I will definitely make this again and again.
Hi Jennifer,
Wonderful! I am so excited to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for trying it out! xx
I made this for a dinner party for 10. I doubled the recipe and made two and so glad I did because now I have leftovers. It was creamy and flavorful and a bit with everyone.
Hi Laura,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad it was a hit! xTieghan
This recipe should be on a list of “best things to make while staying at an Airbnb on summer vacation” – ingredients are easy to find, every place has the cookware required, doesn’t take much time to prepared, and is delicious!
Hey Jillian,
Amazing! Thanks for sharing your feedback and making this recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed:)
My friend who first told me to check out your blog (now I’m a few cookbooks deep) came over for dinner, so of course I had to make one of your recipes! This was such a delicious and easy summer pasta. Filling and flavorful without being too rich. Don’t skip the enchilada sauce, and I really liked the flavor of the coconut milk in it too.
Hi Dana!
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for sharing your feedback and making this recipe! Hope you’re off to a great weekend! xTieghan