• Start by roasting the tomatoes. Preheat the oven to 400℉. Add the cherry tomatoes to a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and salt. Roast for 15-20 minutes until bursting. Remove the tomatoes from the oven and set aside. Turn the oven down to 350℉.

To Make the Pesto:

• Meanwhile, make the pesto. To a blender, add the spinach, basil, pine nuts, parmesan, garlic cloves, olive oil and salt. Pulse until very smooth, scraping down the sides as needed, for about 1 to 2 minutes. Then add the ricotta and pulse once more until just combined. Give it a taste and adjust the salt to your liking, I added an extra pinch.

To Make the Pasta:

• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the pasta until al dente according to the package’s instructions. Scoop out about a ½ cup of pasta water. We’ll use this in the sauce!
• Drain the pasta. Reserve ½ cup of pesto then toss the hot pasta with the rest of the pesto along with the roasted cherry tomatoes and a few splashes of reserved pasta water. Give it a good mix until the pasta is fully coated. Add more pasta water if you need it.
• Add a layer of the pesto pasta to a 9x13-inch casserole dish, then sprinkle on the shredded mozzarella, then add the rest of the pesto pasta. Dollop the reserved pesto on top. Then cover the top with slices of mozzarella cheese. Bake covered for 20 minutes then broil uncovered for 3 minutes until cheese is melted with golden brown flecks.