Roasted cream cheese & tomato pasta bake

My friend Susan really wants me to post this recipe...it is a winner for sure and so easy. So here it is. Enjoy!

Serves 6-8

 1 large baking dish - spray baking dish with non stick spray

1 block cream cheese - any kind ( or use 2 'borsin' rounds)

cherry tomatoes - 2 small baskets - washed and left whole

1/2 red onion - sliced thin

herbs & spices of choice ( I use salt and pepper, fresh thyme if available, Italian seasoning, garlic)

olive oil - 1/2 cup

whole garlic bulb

1 cup chicken or vegetable broth.

pasta of choice - 3/4 lb. around 300G. - boil ahead to 3/4 done, drain and set aside. I have used bowtie, tortellini filled pasta, spiral, linguini 

options:  mushrooms, zucchini, and spinach work well.

Pre heat oven to 375 degrees

Add cream cheese to the center of the coated baking dish. Sprinkle tomatoes & onions around the edge.

Add options vegetables here  to roast if desired.

Pour olive oil over tomatoes etc.

Add herbs and spices of choice.

into the hot oven for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile prepare pasta but do not cook all the way,

Drain pasta.

When tomato mixture is roasted remove from oven. Remove garlic bulb and squirt roasted garlic into tomato mixture and stir well. Discard the casing of the garlic bulb.

Add cooked pasta and broth and stir again and return to oven for 25 minutes. 20 minutes into this time is the time to add the fresh spinach if using, stir well and continue roasting for 5 minutes.

Serve hot.