Caprese Pasta Casserole

Casseroles are some of my most favorite dishes because they can often be made ahead and then just popped into the oven for the final cooking.

This is one of those and can be varied quite a bit. As you know, a caprese salad consists of tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil primarily.

This one encompasses all that and adds a bit more which can be easily varied to meet your tastes and time constraints.

With a salad and crusty bread, it makes an inviting meal for both family and friends.

Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

• 8-10 oz of your favorite pasta (linguine is a good choice but you can do other tubular kinds or shapes.
• 2 c of cooked chicken, shredded 
• 1 1/2 c your favorite sauce. 
• 1/2 c pesto sauce
• 15 or so cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 lb of fresh mozzarella
• 1/2 c freshly grated Parmesan or Asagio cheese
• 1/2 c fresh chiffonade of basil

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Cook the pasta as usual, draining and setting aside (this can be done in the morning and held until assembly later. 
2. Make your sauce if necessary and pesto. These as well can be kept until ready to assemble. Note that the pesto can be frozen, so don't be afraid to make more than you need. 
3. When ready, in a large bowl, add the chicken, cooked pasta and enough of the sauce to mix well and so that all is nicely coated. It should be quite wet but not swimming in the sauce. 
4. Dab spoonfuls of the pesto over the top, and then lightly smooth across the sauce, don't worry if it mixes in a bit here and there. 
5. Scatter the halved tomatoes across the top. 
6. Either slice, or use pieces of mozzarella evenly across the top as well. I used nine cubes of fresh mozzarella on mine. 
7. Scatter the cheese over this and then the chiffonade of basil. 
8. Can be held for a couple of hours like this until ready to bake. 
9. Bake in a 350 oven for about 40 minutes, or until mozzarella is nicely melted out, and casserole is bubbly. 

SERVES: 6

NOTES: You can make this without any meat or substitute any you wish, including ground beef or pork, shredded pork, bacon, etc. You can use any cheese you prefer, though I would use mozzarella as the base, but you might add some Romano instead of the Parmesan. 

SOURCE: Adapted from Yummly