Cheesy Baked Pasta With Spinach And Artichokes Recipes

SPINACH AND ARTICHOKE PASTA BAKE

Steps:

• Microwave the spinach according to the package instructions, then allow to cool slightly. Squeeze out the excess water with a kitchen towel and set aside.
• Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add the rigatoni and cook 2 minutes less than the package instructions. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the pasta water before draining.
• In a large room-temperature saucepan, add the olive oil and garlic. Turn on the heat to medium and allow the garlic to cook until lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the crushed red pepper flakes, then add the spinach and artichokes and saute 2 to 3 minutes. Add about 3/4 cup pasta water and the cream cheese and dried basil to the saucepan and allow the cream cheese to melt, 3 to 4 minutes. Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup more of the pasta water if necessary to thin out the sauce, and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the grated Parmesan.
• Add the rigatoni to the sauce and stir to coat. Transfer to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish (if your pan is oven-safe, you can skip this step). Top with the shredded mozzarella. Broil on high until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

SPINACH AND ARTICHOKE BAKED ZITI

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 3-quart baking dish or spray with non-stick cooking spray.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil, add the pasta then follow package directions, but cook 1 to 2 minutes less than the package calls for. Reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta water then drain.
• While the pasta cooks, warm the marinara sauce in a saucepan over medium heat.
• In a small bowl, stir basil pesto and the sour cream together until well blended.
• Add the cooked pasta to a large bowl with the spinach, artichokes, warmed marinara, and the reserved pasta water. Toss until the spinach has wilted and everything is well combined.
• Spoon half of the pasta into the baking dish. Spread the sour cream and pesto mixture over the pasta and scatter with half of the mozzarella cheese.
• Top with the remaining pasta, lightly press everything down into the baking dish, and then scatter remaining mozzarella cheese on top.
• Place the baking dish onto an aluminum-lined baking dish (just in case any sauce drips over the sides of the baking dish). Bake until the cheese has melted and the sauce is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

CHEESY BAKED PASTA WITH SAUSAGE AND RICOTTA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Heat oil in a 12-inch ovenproof skillet over medium-high. Crumble sausage into skillet, using a spoon to break it into small pieces. Cook until starting to brown, stirring occasionally, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic, oregano, fennel seeds and red-pepper flakes (if using), and cook another 1 to 2 minutes.
• Stir in whole tomatoes and their juice, using a spoon to break them up. Add crushed tomatoes, bay leaves and 2 teaspoons salt, and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes to thicken slightly.
• Stir in pasta and 1 cup water and return to a simmer. Continue to simmer for 2 minutes, stirring frequently to make sure pasta doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat, pluck out the bay leaves, and fold in about a third of the mozzarella.
• Top pasta with remaining mozzarella and dollops of ricotta. Sprinkle with Parmesan, then transfer to oven. Bake until pasta is tender when poked with a fork, and cheese is bubbly and lightly golden, 18 to 22 minutes. (If you'd like a more deeply browned topping, run the pan under the broiler for 1 or 2 minutes.) Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving. Top with basil, plenty of black pepper, and more red-pepper flakes, if you like.

CHEESY BAKED PASTA WITH SPINACH & ARTICHOKES

Steps:

• Cook the pasta according to the package directions, drain, and return it to the pot. Heat broiler.
• Add the artichoke hearts, spinach, Parmesan, half the mozzarella, and ¼ teaspoon pepper to the pasta and toss to combine.
• Transfer the mixture to a shallow 2-quart (or 8-inch square) broilerproof baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella. Broil until the cheese is browned in spots, 2 to 3 minutes.

BAKED ARTICHOKE PASTA WITH CREAMY GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees and bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Cook fusilli according to package directions until 3 minutes shy of al dente. Reserve 3 cups pasta water, then drain.
• Meanwhile, in a large oven-proof skillet, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook scallion whites until softened, about 5 minutes, then add garlic and cook another 1 minute. Stir in red-pepper flakes, and cook another 30 seconds.
• Whisk in 1 1/2 cups pasta water, cream cheese and goat cheese, and simmer, whisking, until smooth. Stir in artichokes, 1 cup fried onions, the mozzarella, the parsley, the dill and the reserved scallion greens, then stir in cooked pasta and black pepper. Add more pasta water if it seems too dry; you want this to be fairly liquid, because the pasta will soak up the sauce as it bakes. Taste and add some salt if needed.
• Top pasta with remaining cup of fried onions and the Parmesan. Bake until filling is bubbly and onions are browned, about 10 to 20 minutes. Serve drizzled with olive oil, and with more red-pepper flakes on the side if you like.

BAKED SPINACH-ARTICHOKE PASTA

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high. Turn down to medium-high, and cook the pasta according to package instructions until 2 minutes short of al dente (the pasta will finish cooking in the oven). Drain and reserve.
• Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium. Add the garlic and red-pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the spinach little by little until wilted, stirring frequently, about 3 minutes. Stir in the chopped artichokes.
• Stir in the cream and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Stir in the Parmesan until melted. Remove from the heat then carefully stir in the cooked pasta, or transfer to a large bowl to mix together, if necessary. The liquid might appear wet and loose, but it will thicken up as it bakes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Transfer the pasta to a 2-quart casserole dish or individual casseroles or ramekins. Sprinkle with the mozzarella and bake until bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes. Broil until browned in spots, 1 to 2 minutes, if desired. Let cool slightly before serving.

CHEESY SPINACH & ARTICHOKE PASTA BAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350ºF.
• Cook pasta in large saucepan as directed on package, omitting salt. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water. Return pasta and reserved water to pan.
• Add artichokes, spinach, peppers, 1-1/2 cups mozzarella and Parmesan; mix lightly. Pour into 2-qt. casserole sprayed with cooking spray; top with remaining mozzarella.
• Bake 25 min. or until heated through.