4.9 from 315 votes
Spinach & Ricotta Pasta Bake
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!
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
55 mins
Servings: 6
Calories: 569 kcal
Course:
Main Course
Cuisine:
American
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!
Cup of Yum
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
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
% 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.