Dinner is SERVED. This Spinach & Ricotta Pasta Bake is super simple to make, it’s meatless vegetarian, and it only has a few ingredients. It starts off with a whole wheat pasta. I used some odds and ends of small pasta that I had on hand; some elbow and some shells that I put together to make a full 10 ounces of noodle. Of course, it’s lightened up with reduced fat cheeses, both with the mozzarella and with the ricotta which goes along with a full 16 ounces of spinach!

I did decide to use a jarred pasta sauce to keep it extra simple. But if I had any leftover sauce stored in the freezer, I would have used that instead. So feel free to use your favorite tomato based spaghetti sauce or marinara here. And you’ll want to reach each part individually so that you really get the flavor through it all that you want.

This makes a BIG amount of pasta, so be prepared to have leftovers if you’re not feeding a rather large family. Seriously, we’ve had it two nights in a row and have barely gotten through half of it so far. I’m pretty sure this is where I live now, in a giant heaping bowl of spinach and ricotta goodness. And I’m fine with that.

You can reheat this easily with a quick zap in the microwave, so it makes great leftovers or even lunch the next day or two.

Spinach & Ricotta Pasta Bake

Yield: 8

Author: The Skinny Fork (Amanda Plott)

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 1 HourTotal time: 1 H & 10 M

A casserole style pasta dish that's easy to make and vegetarian too! Loaded with cheesy saucy goodness and plenty to spinach to really get those greens in there.

Ingredients

10 Oz. Whole Wheat Pasta (Small like elbow or rotini.)
15 Oz. Skim Ricotta Cheese
1/2 C. Grated Parmesan Cheese
2 Minced Garlic Cloves
16 Oz. Frozen Chopped Spinach, Thawed & Drained
2 C. Shredded Reduced Fat Mozzarella Cheese
24 Oz. Marinara Sauce
Salt & Pepper to Taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Set the pasta to cook according to package directions, minus one minute.
While the pasta is cooking, mix together the 15 Oz. Skim Ricotta Cheese, 1/2 C. Grated Parmesan Cheese, 2 Minced Garlic Cloves, 16 Oz. Frozen Chopped Spinach, and 1 C. Shredded Reduced Fat Mozzarella Cheese.
When the pasta is done, reserve 1 C. of the pasta water to mix into the ricotta mixture.
Drain the rest of the pasta and stir in with the ricotta mixture.
Transfer the ricotta and pasta mixture into the bottom of a large casserole dish.
Top with the 24 Oz. Marinara Sauce and the remaining 1 C. Shredded Reduced Fat Mozzarella Cheese.
Cover with foil and place in the oven to bake for 45 minutes.
Remove the foil and continue to cook for another 15 minutes.
Once done, divide evenly among bowls and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Calories

301.24

Fat (grams)

7.29

Sat. Fat (grams)

3.95

Carbs (grams)

39.54

Fiber (grams)

2.94

Net carbs

36.59

Sugar (grams)

5.43

Protein (grams)

21.2

Sodium (milligrams)

810.77

Cholesterol (grams)

31.87

Nutritional Claims: High Fiber • Vegetarian • Egg Free • Peanut Free • Tree Nut Free • Soy Free • Fish Free • Shellfish Free • Pork Free • Red Meat Free • Crustacean Free • Celery Free • Mustard Free • Sesame Free • Lupine Free • Mollusk Free • Alcohol Free • Kosher