Description
A comforting and creamy pasta bake featuring spinach, ricotta, and mozzarella, baked to golden perfection.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Crust:
- 300g pasta (penne or fusilli)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 250g fresh spinach
- 500g ricotta cheese
- 200ml heavy cream
- 200g mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 50g Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- Optional: red pepper flakes for heat
Instructions
1. Prepare the Crust:
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add spinach in batches, stirring until wilted. Remove from heat and let cool slightly, then chop coarsely.
- In a large bowl, combine ricotta, heavy cream, half of the mozzarella, Parmesan, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir in the cooked spinach.
- Add the cooked pasta to the ricotta mixture and stir until well coated.
- Transfer the mixture to a greased 9×13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella on top.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until bubbly and golden brown on top. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
You can customize the seasonings to taste. For extra protein, add cooked chicken or ground italian sausage.