By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 3, 2026
Serves 4
421 cal · 45 min
Caprese Penne
Recipe GLPRbd135ec72eaeb8
A warm, comforting baked pasta dish inspired by the fresh flavors of Caprese salad. Whole wheat penne is tossed with a creamy tomato sauce enriched with sour cream and parmesan, then combined with halved cherry tomatoes and fresh basil before being topped with sliced mozzarella and baked until golden and bubbling. Perfect as a side dish or light main course.
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Ingredients
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved and whole
1 bunch fresh basil leaves
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
¼ cup sour cream
1 cup tomato sauce
½ box whole wheat penne pasta
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced
Directions
Preheat your oven to 400°F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the whole wheat penne according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
While the pasta cooks, warm the tomato sauce in a large saucepan over low heat for about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the sour cream and grated parmesan cheese until well combined and creamy.
Add the drained pasta to the sauce and toss gently until all the pasta is evenly coated. Chop about half of the fresh basil leaves and fold into the pasta mixture along with the halved and whole cherry tomatoes. Mix until fully combined.
Lightly coat a baking dish with non-stick spray and pour the entire pasta and sauce mixture into it, spreading it in an even layer.
Arrange the sliced fresh mozzarella over the top of the pasta, covering it generously.
Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the mozzarella is melted, golden, and bubbling at the edges. Remove from the oven and garnish with the remaining fresh basil leaves. Serve hot.
Allow to cool for 1 to 2 minutes before serving to avoid burns from the hot cheese.
Comments
This dish trades on Charlotte's summer farmers market tomatoes for genuine freshness but leans hard on fresh basil, which means a targeted stop at Harris Teeter's specialty section or a second market run during winter months when it's pricey and sparse elsewhere. The sour cream addition is unusual for caprese and adds a small cost without clear flavor payoff—a straight olive oil base would cut both complexity and money. At roughly $8–10 for four servings of protein-light pasta with dairy, it's decent on the weeknight budget, and the whole assembly requires no real cooking skill, just chopping and tossing. This reheats lukewarmly and tastes better the same evening, so plan to serve it all.
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