Baked Mozzarella With Tomato And Basil Antipasti Recipes

CREAMY PASTA BAKE WITH CHERRY TOMATOES AND BASIL

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add penne and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of cooking water.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and cook onion until soft and translucent while penne is cooking, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds. Stir in tomato sauce and tomato paste and cook until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Add cream and Parmesan cheese and season with salt, pepper, and sugar.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a baking dish.
• Stir some pasta cooking water into the sauce and add cooked penne. Remove from heat and stir in cherry tomatoes, 1/2 the mozzarella cheese, and basil. Pour penne mixture into the prepared baking dish and cover with remaining mozzarella cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is melted, about 20 minutes.

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. The pasta will soak up more juice and keep on cooking after we drain it, so we need it to be a little under cooked. The shells will probably cook about 9 or 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 separate the cloves from the skins. Throw out the skins and chop up the garlic. Remember to keep your fingers curled under and the edge of your sharp, chef's knife tilted slightly away from your body.
• Add extra-virgin olive oil to the pan by pouring a slow stream of it twice-around-the-pan. This will be about 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil just enough to coat the bottom of the pan. Do not let the oil pour out too fast. You are looking for 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. Cut the other half into thin slices then twist the slices a quarter turn and chop them again. Hold the tip of 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, 5 minutes until the onions are mushy and look cooked.
• 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 peppe, 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 flameproof casserole dish. Add pesto sauce, 1 cup of ricotta cheese and a handful of grated Parmigiano, too. Stir 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, to pass around. Shred up some mozzarella cheese with a grater and scatter it over the pasta. Add a final sprinkle of Parmigiano to the mozzarella 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.

PIZZA WITH TOMATO, MOZZARELLA AND BASIL

Steps:

• Set the pizza stone into a cold oven and preheat the oven to 450 degrees. In a small sauce pan set over a low flame, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute before adding the tomatoes. Season the tomatoes with the salt, pepper and oregano and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Working on a lightly floured surface, pat one of the pizza dough balls into a flat round shape, working from the center outward. While forming the shape of a pizza crust, work with the tips of the fingers and form a 1/2-inch thick edge. Continue to work outward trying to achieve as even a thickness as possible. When the pizza dough is formed into shape transfer the dough to the peel and drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the surface. Sprinkle half the Parmesan cheese evenly over the oiled pizza dough and spoon 3 tablespoons of sauce over the surface. Evenly spread half of the mozzarella over the tomato and finish building your pizza with a few basil leaves roughly torn by hand. Place the pizza onto the pizza stone in the oven by sliding the pizza off of the peel and onto the hot stone. Repeat the process for the second pizza. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the surface is bubbling and the bottom of the crust is well browned.;
• In a bowl, combine the flour and salt, and mix thoroughly. In a separate stainless steel bowl, combine the water and yeast, and using a whisk, add 2 tablespoons of oil. Let rest for 5 minutes. Pour the water into the center of the flour, and with a spatula, stir to combine well into a sticky mass. Pour this mass out onto a lightly floured surface and begin to knead the dough by working the dough with the heel of the palm of your hand. Push outward and pull the inside edge over the top. Repeating the process over again to create a smooth ball of dough free of stickiness. Place the ball of dough into a clean stainless steel bowl that has been brushed with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Cover with a clean cloth and let rise at room temperature for 1 1/2 hours or until it has doubled in size. When the dough has risen it can be divided in half and the two pieces formed into two balls which will later be patted into the traditional pizza shape. Yield: 2 12-inch pizza crusts;

BAKED MOZZARELLA WITH TOMATO AND BASIL ANTIPASTI

Steps:

• Preheat broiler.
• Lightly brush baguette slices with olive oil.
• Broil bread for about 3 minutes; turn and sprinkle with Parmesan and dried basil; broil 1 to 2 minutes until lightly toasted; set aside.
• Reduce oven to 350 degrees F.
• In four individual oven proof dishes, layer tomato sauce, garlic, and mozzarella.
• Bake 20 minutes or until mozzarella is melted.
• Remove from oven and drizzle with oil.
• Top with fresh basil.
• Serve with toasted Parmesan baguette slices.

BAKED MOZZARELLA TOMATOES

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven (or toaster oven) to 400 degrees F.
• 2. Cut tomatoes into thick slices, and place them on a foil-lined baking sheet.
• 4. Salt and pepper lightly, add basil (as much or little as you like) and cook tomatoes for 10 minutes, or until tender but not mushy.
• 5. Turn off oven. Top tomatoes with cheese and drizzle with olive oil. Allow to sit in hot oven just long enough for the cheese to melt.

BAKED TOMATO, MOZZARELLA & BASIL RISOTTO

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Heat half the oil in an ovenproof pan or casserole dish, then stir in the onion and cook over a low heat for 8-10 mins until golden. Scatter over the rice and mix well until coated. Pour over the wine, if using, and cook for 2 mins until absorbed. Pour over the hot stock, then give the rice a quick stir. Put the dish in the oven and bake the rice for 10 mins.
• Remove from the oven and stir through the tomatoes, basil, half of the parmesan and some seasoning. Flatten everything out roughly with the back of a spoon, then nestle the chunks of mozzarella evenly into the risotto. Sprinkle over the breadcrumbs and the remaining parmesan, and drizzle with the rest of the olive oil. Put the dish back in the oven, and bake everything for another 10-15 mins until the rice is just cooked through, heating it under the grill if you want a deep, golden crust. Leave to stand for a few minutes, scatter with a few extra basil leaves and serve scooped straight from the dish.

TOMATO AND MOZZARELLA ANTIPASTO

Steps:

• Place cheese in bowl.
• Combine tomatoes, olives and basil with vinegar.
• Toss with cheese and pour enough oil over all just to coat.
• Grind pepper on top.
• Can be served immediately or stored, covered in refrigerator up to two days.

TWICE BAKED POTATOES WITH MOZZARELLA, TOMATO AND BASIL

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F or 180°C.
• Bake the potatoes in the oven for about an hour, until the skins are firm and the centre is soft.
• Meanwhile, chop the cherry tomatoes into eighths and set aside. Add the grated mozzarella, chopped basil and pine nuts.
• When the potatoes are cooked, remove from the oven. Halve them lengthways and scoop out the majority of the flesh with a spoon. Be very careful not to tear the skin- leave a quarter inch of flesh still in the skin to provide a firm shell.
• Lightly mash with a fork the flesh that has been removed from the skins. Mix in the cream cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Add the mozzarella and tomato mixture to the mashed potato and scoop back into the shells.
• Place on a foil-covered baking tray and bake for 5-10 minutes, until the filling is hot and beginning to turn golden.
• Serve hot!