Baked Caprese Pasta

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1 1/4 cups chicken broth
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 pound penne pasta, cooked
• 2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 1/3 cup diced part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1 pkg (8 oz each) Alexia(R) Mozzarella Stix with Olive Oil & Italian Herbs

1. Preheat oven to 375u0b0F. Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic; cook 1 minute or until fragrant. Stir in flour; cook 1 minute more.
2. Whisk in milk and broth, stirring constantly until sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat; stir in salt and red pepper flakes.
3. Place half of pasta in bottom of 13x9-inch glass baking dish; top with half of the tomatoes and half of the basil. Add all of mozzarella. Repeat with remaining pasta, tomatoes and basil.
4. Pour sauce evenly over pasta. Cut each mozzarella stix into several pieces; place across pasta in an even layer. Cover with foil. Bake 20 minutes. Remove foil; bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until mozzarella stixs are melted and crisp and sauce is bubbly.

unsalted butter, garlic, allpurpose, milk, chicken broth, kosher salt, red pepper, penne pasta, grape tomatoes, fresh basil, mozzarella cheese, olive oil

Taken from www.myrecipes.com/recipe/alexia-baked-caprese-pasta (may not work)