Penne And Spinach Bake Recipes

CHEESY SPINACH BAKED PENNE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Mist a 2 to 2 1/2-quart rectangular or oval baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the penne and cook according to package directions for al dente.
• While the pasta cooks, heat the oil in a medium pot set over medium heat. Add the fennel seeds and garlic and cook until aromatic, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, basil sprig, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Simmer, lowering the heat if the sauce bubbles too vigorously, until the sauce has thickened slightly, the flavors have blended together and the raw tomato taste has cooked out, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, discard the basil and season with additional salt and pepper. Pour over the cooked pasta and toss well to coat. Add the cubed mozzarella and transfer half the pasta to the prepared baking dish.
• Put the cottage cheese in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. Add the shredded mozzarella and Parmesan and pulse two to three times. Combine half the cottage cheese mixture with the spinach and mix to break up the spinach. Drop in spoonfuls over the pasta in the baking dish. Top the spinach layer with the rest of the pasta and then the remaining cottage cheese mixture.
• Bake until bubbly and golden brown on top, about 30 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes, and then scatter the torn basil over the top.

BAKED PENNE WITH SPINACH, RICOTTA & FONTINA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Lightly oil a 9 x 13-inch 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, then place the cooked penne back in the pan and set aside.
• In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade, combine the spinach, basil, ricotta, cream cheese, half-and-half, 1 cup of the fontina, 3 tablespoons of the 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.

PENNE AND SPINACH BAKE

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
• Saute onion and garlic in 1 T butter until tender.
• Add flour and stir to coat onions.
• Add milk and cook over medium low until bubbly and slightly thickened.
• Remove from heat; add 1/4 c cheese and seasonings.
• Combine pasta, sauce, 1 c cheese, tomatoes and spinach in large bowl.
• Spoon into greased 13x9 baking dish.
• Combine bread crumbs, 2 T cheese and 1 T butter.
• Sprinkle over pasta.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

BAKED PENNE WITH SAUSAGE, SPINACH, AND BEANS

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, heat a drizzle of oil over medium-high heat and cook the onion and garlic for a few minutes, until soft.
• Squeeze the sausages out of their casings into the pan and cook, breaking up the meat until it's no longer pink.
• Add the tomatoes, beans, and tomato paste and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Stir in the pesto and some salt and pepper.
• Cook the pasta until al dente, drain it well, and toss it with the spinach, mozzarella, and about half the parmesan cheese in a large bowl.
• Stir in the hot tomato sauce, which will slihtly wilt the spinach.
• Pour into one or more baking dishes (it should be enough to fill one 9x13 inch pan) and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan.
• At this point the dish can be cooled completely, covered, and kept in the refrigerator overnight, or frozen for up to 4 months. Bake from frozen.
• Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes (40 minutes if frozen), until bubbly and golden.

BAKED PENNE WITH SAUSAGE AND SPINACH (OVEN OR CROCK-POT)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375. Grease a deep lasagna pan (or two 9x9 pans). Crockpot instructions are at the bottom.
• SAUCE: In a large deep saucepan, heat oil. Add onion and saute slowly until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add sausage to pan; continue to saute and break up sausage into bite size pieces. When sausage is just about done, add garlic for a minute or two. Finally, pour red wine into pan and bring wine to a boil to evaporate alcohol and eliminate most of the liquid.
• Add tomatoes to other ingredients. Pour about 1/2 cup water into the tomato can to clean out the can - add this water to the pot. Add pesto. While this simmers about 10 minutes, cook the pasta.
• PASTA: Bring plenty of salted water to boil for pasta (lots of water will prevent sticky pasta). Cook according to package directions; drain.
• In a large mixing bowl, toss hot cooked pasta, chopped fresh spinach and tomato/sausage sauce. DO NOT ADD CHEESE YET. Continue combining hot ingredients until spinach wilts slightly, THEN add cubed mozzarella and 1/2 CUP of the Parmesan cheese. Toss quickly and pour into your prepared baking dish (if you work with the cheese too long, it will become a stringy mess!).
• Sprinkle final 1/2 CUP Parmesan on top.
• Bake 375 for 30 minutes, uncovered, until hot and bubbly.
• CROCKPOT VERSION FOR A CROWD: Double recipe. Make sure pasta is a bit undercooked (slightly firm). Pour into crockpot; add 1 cup hot water around the edges. Cook on HIGH 3 hours.

BAKED PENNE AND CHEESE WITH SPINACH

Steps:

• Cook the pasta in salted boiling water until it is very al dente.
• (You want it slightly undercooked.) Drain well and toss with a drizzle of oil to prevent it sticking.
• Melt butter in a large saute pan over medium heat; add onion and mushrooms, and saute for about 5 minutes.
• Sprinkle evenly with flour and stir until the flour is incorporated.
• Slowly stir in milk and cook, stirring constantly, for five to seven minutes.
• Add 1 1/2 cup of the cheese, salt to taste, cream, pepper, and nutmeg.
• Cook and stir until the cheese melts.
• In a large bowl, mix together the pasta and uncooked spinach leaves.
• Pour the hot sauce over and mix well.
• Spoon into a buttered casserole large enough to hold or into a buttered 9x13 baking pan.
• Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup cheddar, cover with lid or foil.
• Bake at 375 for 40 minutes, removing the lid/foil for the last 10 minutes.

PENNE AND SPINACH PASTA BAKE WITH BLUE CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil.
• Add pasta and cook for 10-12 minutes, adding the spinach to the pan for the last 3 minutes of cooking time.
• Drain well then tip the pasta and spinach into a shallow baking dish along with the crumbled blue cheese,pinch of chili flakes if using and seasoning to taste.
• Put spoonfuls of the mascarpone cheese all over the top of the pasta.
• Sprinkle with the parmesan then grill for 5 minutes until the mascarpone melts and the top turns a golden brown.
• Serve with grilled tomatoes and a green salad.

PORTOBELLO PENNE PASTA CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Place pasta in the pot, cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until al dente, and drain.
• Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the mushrooms, cook 1 minute, and set aside. Melt margarine in the saucepan. Mix in flour, garlic, and basil. Gradually mix in milk until thickened. Stir in 1 cup cheese until melted. Remove saucepan from heat, and mix in cooked pasta, mushrooms, spinach, and soy sauce. Transfer to the prepared baking dish, and top with remaining cheese.
• Bake 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until bubbly and lightly brown.

CREAMY BAKED PENNE WITH CHICKEN, SPINACH, AND FONTINA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until the golden, about 2 minutes. Add both cans of the tomatoes, the heavy cream and 3/4 cup of water. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat slightly and simmer rapidly, uncovered, until thickened, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the ricotta and season with salt and pepper.
• Cook the penne in the salted boiling water until very al dente, about 2 minutes less than the package directions. Drain the pasta and add it to a large bowl.
• Add the tomato sauce, spinach, rotisserie chicken, half of the fontina and pecorino and all of the basil to the bowl and stir well to combine. Transfer the pasta to a 3- to 4-quart baking dish and top with the remaining fontina and pecorino. Bake, uncovered, until browned, about 15 minutes. Let the pasta rest for about 10 minutes before serving.