There are so many ways to make pasta, and this is one of my favorites!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
1 package Dried Pasta of your choice (I used Penne)
4 Cloves of Garlic, minced
1 Yellow Onion, diced
28 oz. Roasted Crushed Tomatoes
2 tbsp. Tomato Paste
3 cups Fresh Baby Spinach, roughly chopped
1 tsp. Dried Oregano
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
12 oz. Ricotta
1 tbsp. Lemon Juice
5 oz. Shredded Parmesan
8 oz. Shredded Mozzarella
Salt and Pepper to taste
½ tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
1 cup Fresh Basil, chopped
Instructions
In a medium to large pot, boil water and cook the pasta according to its package. While the pasta cooks, prep all the vegetables. When the pasta is done cooking, reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain. This will be used later in the sauce.
Next, in a large sauce pot, on medium heat, add olive oil and saute onions until translucent. Now add in the garlic and saute until fragrant. Stir continuously to avoid the garlic from burning.
Add in the tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, oregano, salt, and pepper. Mix well until everything is combined. Turn the heat down to a simmer with the cover on. Simmer the sauce for about 5 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Then in a medium sized mixing bowl, combine ricotta, lemon juice, chili flakes, and spinach. Mix until well combined.
Next, fold the ricotta into the cooked pasta. Once that is complete, add in the sauce, fold until combined.
In a large baking dish, place half of the pasta mixture into the pan. Evenly spread out the noodles and then layer with ½ of the mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Repeat this step, adding the remaining pasta and cheeses.
Cover the pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the foil and continue to bake for additional 5-10 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbling.
Remove from the oven, and garnish with the fresh basil. Serve immediately, enjoy!
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