Best Tomato Basil And Cheese Baked Pasta Rachael Ray Recipes

TOMATO, BASIL AND CHEESE BAKED PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt the water. Add small shell pasta and cook the pasta to al dente doneness which means that the pasta will still have a bite to it or be a little chewy. Cook probably 9-10 minutes.
• Preheat a deep, big skillet or a medium sauce pot over medium heat.
• Place garlic on the cutting board and place the flat of your knife on top of each clove. Carefully give the garlic a whack with the palm of your hand to seperate the cloves from the skins. Throw out the skins and chop up the garlic.
• Add EVOO to the pan by pouring a slow stream of it twice-around-the-pan. Do not let the oil pour out too fast. Add the garlic to the oil.
• Chop onion finely. Add to garlic and oil. Cook, stirring frequently, five minutes or until onions are tender.
• Add the tomatoes to the onions and stir. When the tomatoes come to a bubble, reduce the heat under the sauce to low.
• Stir in basil pieces to wilt them. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to your taste.
• Preheat your broiler to high and place a rack in the center of the oven.
• Drain pasta shells. Add them to a casserole dish.
• Add pesto sauce, 1 cup ricotta cheese and a handful of grated parmigiano.
• Stir carefully and coat the hot pasta with the pesto and cheeses.
• Pour the hot tomato and basil sauce over the pasta.
• Shred up mozzarella and scatter over the pasta. Add a final sprinkle of parimigiano to the mozarella as well.
• Place the casserole under the broiler in the middle of oven, 10-12 inches from the heat. Let the cheese melt and bubble on top (3-5 minutes).

TOMATO, BASIL, AND CHEESE BAKED PASTA RACHAEL RAY

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt the water.
• Add pasta and cook for a minute or two less time than package directions say.
• The pasta will soak up more juice and keep on cooking after we drain it, so we need it to be a little undercooked.
• The shells with probably cook for 9 or 10 minutes.
• Preheat a big, deep skillet or a medium saucepan over medium heat.
• Place garlic on a cutting board and place the flat of your knife on top of each clove.
• Carefully give the garlic a whack with the palm of your hand to separate the cloves form the skins.
• Throw out the skins and chop up the garlic.
• Remember to keep your fingers curled under and the edge of your knife tilted slightly away from your body.
• Add evoo by pouring a slow stream of it twice around the pan.
• This will be about 2 tablespoons, just enough to coat the bottom of the pan.
• Do not let the oil pour out too fast; you want a slow, steady stream.
• Add the garlic to the oil.
• To chop the onion, cut the ends off and cut the whole onion down the center.
• Wrap half and save it for another use.
• Cut the other half into thin slices then turn the slices a quarter turn and chop them again.
• Hold the tip of the knife on the cutting board and lift the back of the knife up and down over the onion to make the pieces really small.
• Add the chopped-up onion to the garlic and oil.
• Cook, stirring a lot, until the onions are mushy and look cooked, about 5 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes to the onions and stir.
• When the tomatoes come to a bubble, reduce the heat under the sauce to low.
• Stir in basil pieces to wilt them.
• Season the sauce with salt and pepper.
• Preheat the broiler to high and place a rack in the center of the oven.
• Drain pasta shells.
• Add them to a casserole dish.
• Add pesto sauce, ricotta cheese, and a handful of grated parmesan. S.
• tir carefully and coat the hot pasta with the pesto and cheeses.
• Pour the hot tomato and basil sauce over the pasta, as much as you like.
• You can always serve a little extra at the table.
• Scatter the mozzarella cheese over the pasta.
• Add a final sprinkle of parmesan as well.
• Place the casserole under the broiler in the middle of oven, 10 to 12 inches from the heat.
• Let the cheese melt and bubble on top, 3 to 5 minutes.

BREAD "GNOCCHI" WITH TOMATO AND BASIL

Steps:

• Preheat broiler.
• Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Chop bread into bite size pieces. Add extra-virgin olive oil, butter and garlic to the skillet. Melt butter into oil then add the bread. Season the bread with salt and pepper. Toss and cook the bread 7 to 8 minutes then add the tomato sauce and fresh tomatoes. Turn to coat and warm the tomato sauce, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Remove the bread gnocchi and tomatoes from heat and transfer to a flameproof casserole dish, top with basil then cover the dish with cheese. Place the casserole under the broiler and cook 2 to 3 minutes, until the cheese browns and bubbles. Serve immediately.

BRUSCHETTA WITH TOMATO AND BASIL

Steps:

• Preheat broiler to high, (if you prefer you can also grill the bread). Place bread slices on a broiler pan. Char bread on each side under hot broiler, keep an eye on it! Rub toasts with cracked garlic and drizzle with oil. Chop seeded tomatoes and place in a small bowl. Pile basil leaves on top of one another and roll into a log. Thinly slice basil into green confetti and loosely combine with tomatoes. Add a drizzle of oil and a little coarse salt to the bowl and gently toss tomatoes and basil to coat. Pile toasts around the bowl of topping. Place a spoon to scoop topping in bowl and serve.

ROASTED SLICED TOMATOES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Put a cooling rack over a baking sheet. Slice the tomatoes, horizontally, into thirds and arrange the slices on the rack. Put the top and bottom of the tomatoes, cut side up, on the rack. Dress the tomatoes with a little extra-virgin olive oil, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and a little fresh thyme. Roast the tomatoes for 1 hour. Remove the tomatoes from the oven and arrange them on a serving platter.