Spinach & Ricotta Pasta Bake
User Reviews
4.9
315 reviews
Excellent
-
Prep Time
15 mins
-
Cook Time
15 mins
-
Total Time
55 mins
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Servings
6
-
Calories
569 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
American
Spinach & Ricotta Pasta Bake
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Recipe video above. A lazy meal for midweek that tastes like spinach and ricotta stuffed shells or cannelloni - but without all the labour! Feel free to use your favourite store bought pasta sauce if you prefer. Reheats well and freezes well too!
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Ingredients
- 300g / 10 oz ziti pasta, uncooked, or other short pasta of choice
- 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese , shredded (or more! For topping)
Ricotta Mixture
- 1 lb / 500 g ricotta (Note 1)
- 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese , grated
- 2 garlic cloves , crushed
- 350g / 12oz 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 / 24oz tomato passata (1 standard bottle) (Note 2)
- 1 tsp EACH onion and garlic powder
- 2 tsp dried Italian Mixed Herbs (Note 3)
- 1/2 tsp dried chili flakes , to taste (optional)
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- black pepper
- 2 tbsp water (if needed)
To Serve
- Parmesan Cheese , grated
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F/180C.
- Pasta Sauce: Pour out about 1/4 cup of the passata (to make room to add flavourings). Add the remaining Pasta Sauce ingredients into the bottle, screw the lid on and give it a shake.
- Cook pasta for time per packet MINUS 1 minute.
- SCOOP OUT 1 mugful pasta cooking water, drain and set aside.
- Ricotta Mixture - Mix Ricotta Mixture ingredients in a very large bowl. Use a splash of pasta cooking water if needed to make it creamy.
- Add pasta and stir to combine. Transfer to a heatproof baking dish.
- Top with Pasta Sauce, top with cheese. Loosely cover with foil.
- Bake for 25 minutes, then remove the cover and bake for a further 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Serve while hot and fresh!
Notes
- Ricotta - Some ricottas are soft and creamy, others are a bit drier and more crumbly. Use pasta cooking water to loosen ricotta so it can be tossed through the pasta (see video for consistency).
- Spinach - or use 1 large bunch of fresh, shredded.
- Mixed Italian Herbs is a dried herb mix you can get from the supermarket which costs the same as other herbs. You can substitute with a mix of other dried herbs - basil, parsley, oregano and thyme go particularly well.
- Tomato passata is strained pureed canned tomatoes. Readily available in supermarkets nowadays, usually alongside pasta sauces, same price as canned tomatoes. US/Canada best sub - what you know as Tomato Sauce (eg. Hunts)
- Storage - Keep leftovers in the fridge and reheat in microwave. To freeze, assemble but do not bake, then freeze. Thaw then bake per recipe.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Calories
569cal
(28%)
Carbohydrates
53g
(18%)
Protein
32g
(64%)
Fat
26g
(40%)
Saturated Fat
14g
(70%)
Cholesterol
81mg
(27%)
Sodium
1346mg
(56%)
Potassium
782mg
(22%)
Fiber
5g
(20%)
Sugar
8g
(16%)
Vitamin A
7860IU
(157%)
Vitamin C
14.6mg
(16%)
Calcium
611mg
(61%)
Iron
3.8mg
(21%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 6Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 569 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 569cal | 28% |
| Carbohydrates | 53g | 18% |
| Protein | 32g | 64% |
| Fat | 26g | 40% |
| Saturated Fat | 14g | 70% |
| Cholesterol | 81mg | 27% |
| Sodium | 1346mg | 56% |
| Potassium | 782mg | 17% |
| Fiber | 5g | 20% |
| Sugar | 8g | 16% |
| Vitamin A | 7860IU | 157% |
| Vitamin C | 14.6mg | 16% |
| Calcium | 611mg | 61% |
| Iron | 3.8mg | 21% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
315 reviews
Excellent
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