Basil pesto & roasted cherry tomato pasta

This is one of my favourite pasta dishes as it's so fresh & tasty! I've used a pasta variety called Cassarecce from the Barilla range which originates from Sicily & is so delicious as it soaks up all of the sauce with its twisted edges. You can get both the original or the chickpea variety of Cassarecce from Barilla. This sauce is a real classic combo with basil pesto, roasted cherry tomatoes & baby mozzarella cheese. And of course, loads of fresh basil! Do I need to say more? Stop what you're doing & put this on your list to cook next! I promise you won't regret it x

Basil pesto & roasted cherry tomato pasta recipe

Serves 2-3

Time: 30 minutes

What you need:

1/2 box Barilla Casarecce pasta (serves 2-3)

2 punnets cherry tomatoes

1 bunch of fresh basil

1 jar of basil pesto

1/2 cup bocconcini cheese (baby mozzarella balls)

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Salt & pepper to taste

How to:

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees celsius fan forced + line a large baking tray with baking paper. Slice the cherry tomatoes in half + place on the baking tray with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (around 3 tbs) + salt. Roast in the oven for 20 - 25 minutes or until cherry tomatoes start to blister. While the cherry tomatoes are roasting, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil & add the Casarecce pasta. These cook in ~9 minutes for al dente (as per packet instructions). Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water on the side. Drain the pasta + return back to the pot. Mix through the basil pesto using the whole jar, add the reserved pasta water, salt & pepper to taste. Now mix in the roasted cherry tomatoes & around 1 cup of loosely packed fresh basil leaves & the bocconcini cheese. Serve with extra fresh basil leaves on top.

#pestopasta #cassarecce