Description
A comforting and cheesy spinach and ricotta pasta bake that combines tender pasta, a flavorful homemade tomato sauce, and a creamy ricotta mixture, all baked to perfection for a satisfying meal.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Pasta
- 300g / 10 oz ziti pasta, uncooked, or other short pasta of choice
Ricotta Mixture
- 1 lb / 500 g ricotta
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 350g / 12 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and excess liquid pressed out
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 3/4 tsp salt & pepper
Shortcut Pasta Sauce
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 700g / 24 oz tomato passata (1 standard bottle)
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp dried Italian mixed herbs
- 1/2 tsp dried chili flakes (optional)
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- Black pepper, to taste
- 2 tbsp water (if needed)
To Serve
- Parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Set your oven to the correct temperature to ensure the bake is properly cooked.
- Prepare Pasta Sauce: Pour out about 1/4 cup of passata, then add the remaining sauce ingredients into the bottle, screw the lid on, and shake well to combine a flavorful sauce.
- Cook Pasta: Cook the pasta in boiling water for one minute less than the package instructions. For example, if the package recommends 12 minutes, cook for 11 minutes. Drain thoroughly, reserving about a mugful of pasta water.
- Prepare Ricotta Mixture: In a large bowl, mix the ricotta, grated parmesan, crushed garlic, thawed spinach, shredded mozzarella, salt, and pepper. Add a splash of reserved pasta water if needed to make the mixture creamy.
- Combine Pasta with Ricotta: Add the cooked pasta to the ricotta mixture and stir well to coat the pasta evenly. Transfer this mixture into a heatproof baking dish.
- Top with Pasta Sauce and Cheese: Pour the homemade tomato sauce over the pasta, spreading it evenly. Sprinkle additional shredded mozzarella or Parmesan cheese on top.
- Bake: Cover the dish loosely with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and golden.
- Serve: Let it sit for a few minutes, then serve hot, garnished with extra grated Parmesan if desired.
Notes
- You can substitute different short pasta shapes like penne or rigatoni based on preference.
- If frozen spinach isn’t available, fresh spinach can be steamed and chopped.
- Adjust chili flakes according to spice preference.
- For a richer flavor, add a drizzle of olive oil to the ricotta mixture.
- Ensure to reserve pasta water to help achieve a creamy texture if needed.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of dish
- Calories: 550 kcal
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 950 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 72 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 23 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
