Three Cheese Macaroni With Spinach Recipes

THREE-CHEESE PASTA BAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375ºF.
• Cook pasta in large saucepan as directed on package, adding spinach to the boiling water for the last minute. Meanwhile, cook and stir chicken and garlic in large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium-high heat 3 min. or until chicken is browned. Stir in pasta sauce and tomatoes; bring to boil. Simmer on medium-low heat 3 min. Remove from heat; stir in cream cheese spread until melted.
• Drain pasta mixture well; return to saucepan. Stir in chicken mixture and mozzarella. Spoon into 13x9-inch baking dish; top with Parmesan.
• Bake 10 to 15 min. or until heated through.

BAKED THREE-CHEESE MACARONI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Cook macaroni in a 6-qt. stockpot according to package directions for al dente. Drain; return to pot., In a large saucepan, melt 6 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Stir in flour until smooth; whisk in warmed milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir 2-3 minutes or until thickened., Remove from heat; stir in Gruyere and cheddar cheeses, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Add to macaroni, tossing to coat., Transfer to a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Toss bread crumbs with Parmesan cheese and melted butter; sprinkle over casserole. Bake, uncovered, 30-40 minutes or until bubbly and top is golden brown.

SPINACH MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with 1 teaspoon butter.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes.
• Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat while macaroni is cooking. Add flour and whisk until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in a little milk and continue whisking. Pour in remaining milk and add frozen spinach. Cook, whisking constantly, until spinach softens and sauce thickens, about 5 minutes.
• Remove sauce from heat and stir in 2 cups Cheddar cheese; whisk until melted. Season sauce with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
• Drain macaroni and spread evenly in the prepared baking dish. Cover with cheese sauce. Mix well. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup Cheddar cheese on top.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is melted, about 30 minutes. Turn on the oven's broiler and broil until a golden crust forms on top, about 3 minutes.

THREE-CHEESE CHICKEN PENNE PASTA BAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375ºF.
• Cook pasta in large saucepan as directed on package, omitting salt and adding spinach to the boiling water for the last minute.
• Meanwhile, cook and stir chicken and basil in large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium-high heat 3 min. Stir in tomatoes and pasta sauce; bring to boil. Simmer on medium-low heat 3 min. or until chicken is done, stirring occasionally. Add Neufchatel; cook and stir 1 to 2 min. or until completely melted.
• Drain pasta mixture; return to pan. Stir in chicken mixture and 1/2 cup mozzarella; spoon into 2-qt. casserole sprayed with cooking spray.
• Bake 20 min. or until heated through; top with remaining cheeses. Bake 3 min. or until mozzarella is melted.

THREE-CHEESE MACARONI WITH SPINACH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees; grease a 3 quart baking dish or casserole dish; start bringing a large pot of water to a boil.
• In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter then add onions and saute until tender, about 5 minutes.
• Add pasta to other pot with water and boil for two minutes less than the package says to.
• Whisk flour into onion/butter mixture and stir for 2 minutes; stir in milk, whisking constantly until it thickens and starts to bubble.
• Remove from heat and stir in the salt, pepper, gorgonzola, fontina and 3/4 cup of the parmesan cheese until smooth and melted.
• Drain pasta well and return to large pot and add the cheese sauce and bag of spinach and mix well; pour into greased dish.
• Combine the remaining Parmesan and bread crumbs; sprinkle on top of macaroni; bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes; top should be lightly browned; cool for 5 minutes, garnish with parsley and dig in!

SPINACH AND THREE CHEESE RAVIOLI WITH SUGO SAUCE

Steps:

• Make the pasta dough as directed in the master recipe.
• To make the filling: Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl, stirring to incorporate.
• To make the sauce: Coat a wide saute pan with olive oil and place over medium heat. When the oil gets hazy, add the onions, garlic, and anchovies; cook and stir for 5 minutes until fragrant and soft. Add the olives, capers, and hand torn basil. Carefully add the tomatoes (nothing splashes like tomatoes), cook and stir over low heat, until the liquid is cooked down and the sauce is thick, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Yield: 24 ravioli
• Pasta Dough for Ravioli:
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs, plus 1 for egg wash
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Cornmeal, for dusting
• To make the pasta dough: In an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook*, combine the flour and salt. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and continue to mix. Drizzle in 1 tablespoons of the olive oil and continue to incorporate all the flour until it forms a ball. Sprinkle some flour on work surface, knead and fold the dough until elastic and smooth, this should take about 10 minutes. Brush the surface with the remaining olive oil and wrap the dough in plastic wrap; let rest for about 30 minutes to allow the gluten to relax.
• *Alternatively if you don't have an electric mixer: Combine the flour and salt on a flat work surface; shape into a mound and make a well in the center. Add the eggs and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to the well and lightly beat with a fork. Gradually draw in the flour from the inside wall of the well in a circular motion. Use 1 hand for mixing and the other to protect the outer wall. Continue to incorporate all the flour until it forms a ball. Continue as directed above.
• Cut the ball of dough in 1/2, cover and reserve the piece you are not immediately using to prevent it from drying out. Dust the counter and dough with a little flour. Press the dough into a rectangle and roll it through a pasta machine, 2 or 3 times, at widest setting. Pull and stretch the sheet of dough with the palm of your hand as it emerges from the rollers. Reduce the setting and crank the dough through again, 2 or 3 times. Continue tightening until the machine is at the narrowest setting; the dough should be paper-thin, about 1/8-inch thick (you should be able to see your hand through it.). Dust the sheets of dough with flour as needed.
• Beat 1 egg with 1 tablespoon of water to make an egg wash. Dust the counter and sheet of dough with flour, lay out the long sheet of pasta, and brush the top surface with the egg wash, which acts as a glue. Drop tablespoons of your favorite filling on 1/2 of the pasta sheet, about 2-inches apart. Fold the other 1/2 over the filling like a blanket. With an espresso cup or fingers, gently press out air pockets around each mound of filling. Use a sharp knife to cut each pillow into squares and crimp the 4 edges with the tins of a fork to make a tight seal. Dust the ravioli and a sheet pan with cornmeal to prevent the pasta from sticking and lay them out to dry slightly while assembling the rest.
• Cook the ravioli in plenty of boiling salted water for 4 minutes; they'll float to the top when ready, so be careful not to overcrowd the pot. Lift the ravioli from water with a large strainer or slotted spoon. Bath the ravioli in your favorite sauce to lightly coat and serve.