Description
A comforting and cheesy Spinach & Ricotta Pasta Bake featuring creamy ricotta and mozzarella, vibrant spinach, and a flavorful homemade tomato passata sauce, baked to bubbly perfection with a golden cheese topping.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Uncooked Pasta
- 300g / 10 oz ziti pasta, uncooked, or other short pasta of choice
Cheese
- 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded (or more for topping)
Ricotta Mixture
- 1 lb / 500 g ricotta cheese
- 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 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: Preheat your oven to 350°F / 180°C to prepare for baking the pasta dish.
- Prepare Pasta Sauce: Pour about 1/4 cup of passata into a bowl, then add the remaining sauce ingredients into the passata bottle, screw the lid on tightly, and shake well to combine all the flavors thoroughly in the bottle.
- Cook Pasta: Boil the pasta according to package instructions but reduce the cooking time by one minute to keep it al dente. Reserve about one mugful of pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta and set aside.
- Make Ricotta Mixture: In a very large bowl, combine ricotta cheese, grated parmesan, crushed garlic, thawed spinach (pressed dry), shredded mozzarella, and salt and pepper. Add a splash of the reserved pasta water if the mixture needs loosening to become creamy and smooth.
- Combine Pasta and Ricotta: Add the cooked pasta to the ricotta mixture and stir thoroughly until every piece is well coated. Transfer this combined mixture into a heatproof baking dish.
- Assemble Bake: Pour the prepared pasta sauce evenly over the pasta and ricotta mixture in the dish. Top with additional shredded mozzarella and grated parmesan cheese. Loosely cover the baking dish with foil to retain moisture during baking.
- Bake: Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes. Then remove the foil and continue baking for an additional 10 minutes, allowing the cheese on top to melt fully and become golden and bubbly.
- Serve: Serve the pasta bake hot, garnished with extra grated parmesan cheese for an added burst of flavor.
Notes
- Use short pasta such as ziti for best results; penne or rigatoni are good alternatives.
- Make sure the spinach is thoroughly pressed to remove all excess moisture to avoid a watery bake.
- Adjust the quantity of chili flakes based on your spice preference or omit them entirely for a milder dish.
- This dish can be prepared ahead of time, refrigerated, and baked later for convenience.
- For an extra crispy cheese topping, broil the bake for 1-2 minutes at the end of baking—watch closely to prevent burning.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of the dish
- Calories: 410 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 780 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg
