Caprese Quinoa Bake

One of Randal's favourite meals is roasted Italian sausages with spaghetti and marinara sauce.  I am not really a fan of Italian sausages so when I make that for him I either have just the spaghetti and marinara or I make something for myself that I know Randal wouldn't eat, just so I can try out a new recipe, which is exactly what I did with this quinoa bake from  Half Baked Harvest.  I really like quinoa but I know that Randal doesn't, but he surprised me and actually had a small bowl of this along with his sausage spaghetti.

2 cups cooked quinoa

1 cup pasta sauce

2 tbsp tomato paste

1/3 cup heavy cream

1/3 cup parmesan cheese

1 cup mozzarella, divided

1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

fresh basil, chopped

1/2 tsp red pepper

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

 

Preheat oven to 350

 

In a large pan, heat the pasta sauce and tomato paste, add in the heavy cream, parmesan, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper.

Remove from heat and stir in the cooked quinoa, half the mozzarella, half the tomatoes and a handful of chopped fresh basil.  

Grease an 8x8 baking dish and pour in the quinoa mixgture.  Top with the remaining mozzarella and tomatoes and bake for 15 minutes.