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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!
If I am using gluten free pasta would you suggest making the sauce separate and top the pasta noodles with the sauce? The noodles text to fall apart quickly. Thank you!!
Hey Amanda,
I think that would be a great idea! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I make a lot of pasta, and I have a lot of chefs in the family and use some their recipes too. This is by far the best pasta I have ever made. I didn’t use the enchilada sauce and added hot Italian sausage, and it had everyone from my 1 year old to my husband making the yummy sounds with every bite.
Hey Elana,
Thanks a bunch for making this recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed! xxTieghan
Could this be put together ahead of time? I was thinking of putting it together in the morning, everything except for the mozzarella, and putting that on when ready to bake. Thoughts?
Hey Kristin,
Yes, that would work well! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
If I wanted to prep this ahead of time, how would you recommend I do this? Can I assemble everything ahead of time, or should I leave some elements out until I am ready to bake? Do I just cook as instructed, even though it will be coming out of the fridge? Thanks!
Hey Susie,
I would just prep up until baking and keep covered in the fridge until you are ready to bake. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
My kids have tree but allergies. What else could I substitute for pesto?
Hey Robin,
You can omit the nuts from the pesto. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This must be the most long-winded and unnecessary preamble to a recipe I’ve ever seen. It started off tempting, but I gave up after paragraphs and paragraphs of pointless text before I even made it to the recipe.
Learn brevity.
Hi Steve! There is a “skip to recipe” button at the top of every recipes page for this reason. xTieghan
I think that Steve needs a nap.
“Skip to recipe”, Steve – and try some kindness.
I have made this recipe so often that i can’t count the amount of times! It is a favourite in our house. Thanks Tieghan! We love your recipes.
This is not a mandatory website and this young lady can construct it however she chooses. I’ll never understand people who go out of their way to make someone’s day harder.
Learn manners.
Learn kindness.
Somehow I just knew enchilada sauce and pesto wouldn’t mix. I was right. Wouldn’t make this again and I hate it when I have to waste good cheese.
Hi Joan! I am sorry this did not turn out well for you. Is there anything I can help with? xTieghan
Wow. The goat cheese and pesto really make this special. It makes a lot so consider halving recipe of you aren’t feeding a large crew.
Thank you so much Steve! xTieghan
I give this a 10/10 for serious. I debated all day if I should make this dish, or your roasted red pepper vodka spaghetti. I went with this because it was so perfect for a fridge clean up! I had a half jar of pesto, leftover enchilada sauce from last night, half jar of sundried tomatoes, and a box of fancy fettucine I had been wanting to use! It’s like you created this recipe JUST for me to use today.
What I love is that it’s easy to customize certain ingredients, but still end up with a tasty dish. Guys, don’t worry about the different sauces. Everything melded together SO WELL to create it’s own flavor. It was so good! Tip: don’t forget to cook the pasta very al dente, because it will keep cooking in the oven!
Thanks so much for another winner, Tieghan!
I am so glad this turned out so amazing for you, Lauren!! Thank you for trying it! xTieghan
Nice recipe, I didn’t have enchilada sauce and fontina cheese though! I also added some tomato pesto and a lot more mozzarella cause my brothers just love a lot of cheese. It tasted great! It is okay if you don’t have the exact ingredients, just substitute things as you want.
Thank you so much Viktoria! I am really glad you enjoyed this recipe! xTieghan
This pasta dish was absolutely delicious. I had some friends come over for a ‘backyard’ get together. I was responsible for the pasta dish and it was a huge hit! Not only did it taste wonderful, it was gorgeous served in my cast iron skillet. The next time I make it, I would like to add Italian sausage. At what point do I saute the sausage and when would I add it into the dish? Thank you for the BEST recipes ever.
Hi Monica,
So glad you enjoyed this recipe! I would cook the sausage at the beginning of step 2 after you drain the pasta. I hope this helps! xTieghan
This pasta was a WILD RIDE. I never would’ve expected so many different kinds of sauces and cheeses coming together to make something so freakin amazing. It was completely delicious, and great leftovers too.
Haha that is so amazing to hear! Thank you for trying this one, Jess!! xTieghan
This was AMAZING!! So easy to do and had so much great flavor. Unlike any traditional baked pasta I’ve made before but this is definitely going to be in my regular rotation now. Love that the recipe calls for fettuccine as well, instead of the traditional penne or rigatoni. Definitely recommend!
Thank you Aimee!! I am so glad this recipe turned out well for you! xTieghan
Is there another cheese you can substitute for goat cheese?
Hi Natalie,
Honestly any other cheese that you enjoy will work. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi! If I dont have fontina cheese, what’s a good substitute for it? Thanks!
Thank you Robi! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
This is AMAZING. I veganized it only using ricotta and mozzarella and it was full of flavor and creaminess.
Love that! Thank you Stephanie! xTieghan