Caprese Casserole

12 oz dried shell pasta
1T olive oil
6T shallots, sliced thinly
4 cloves garlic, grated
8c baby spinach or Swiss chard leaves
2c cherry tomatoes
15 oz garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
3/4c basil, thinly sliced
1/2c Kalamata olives, thinly sliced
2c bottled roasted red peppers
1/2t salt
2c mozzarella, shredded
3/4c balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 375°. Lightly grease a 3 qt. baking dish. Cook pasta and drain, reserving 3/4c of cooking water. In a skillet, heat oil to medium heat. Add shallots and garlic, cook 3-5 min. until tender. Add spinach and cook 1 min. until wilted. Remove and add spinach to bowl with pasta, 1 1/2c of tomatoes, 1/2c of basil, the olive and beans. In a blender, add peppers and pasta water. Blend until smooth. Add to pasta mixture and transfer to baking dish. Bake covered 25 min. Sprinkle with cheese and bake uncovered 10 minutes. In a saucepan, boil vinegar over medium heat. Boil 5 to 10 minutes reducing to 1/3 c. Before serving, top pasta with remaining tomatoes and basil. Drizzle with reduced vinegar.


Recipe Cards

Click thumbnails to view and download a full size image.


Send this to a friend