Baked Penne with Spinach, Ricotta & Fontina
This easy vegetarian pasta bake gives you all the flavor of classic spinach and cheese cannelloni without the fuss.
Equipment
- oven
- Ceramic baking dish
- Food processor
Ingredients
- 1 lb penne
- 1 package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry 10 oz
- ½ cup basil leaves, roughly chopped packed
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- 4 oz mascarpone cheese or cream cheese
- 2 cups half-and-half
- 2 cups grated fontina or whole milk mozzarella divided
- 5 tablespoons finely grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano, divided
- 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and set an oven rack in the middle position. Lightly oil a 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33-cm) ceramic baking dish.
- Cook the penne in boiling salted water until al dente, about 9 minutes. (It will cook more in the oven, so you don’t want it completely cooked.) Drain and rinse under cold water, then place the pasta back in the pan and set aside.
- In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade, combine the spinach, basil, ricotta, mascarpone (or cream cheese), half-and-half, 1 cup (120 g) of the fontina (or mozzarella), 3 tablespoons of the Pecorino Romano (or Parmigiano Reggiano), garlic, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Process until puréed.
- Add the spinach mixture to the pasta and stir to combine. Transfer to the prepared baking dish. Top with the remaining fontina and Parmigiano Reggiano.
- Bake until the pasta is bubbling and the top is golden in spots, about 20 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes, then serve.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 692kcalCarbohydrates: 65gProtein: 31gFat: 34gSaturated Fat: 20gCholesterol: 112mgSodium: 956mgFiber: 4gSugar: 7g
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