Macaroni With Spinach Sauce Recipes

PASTA WITH SPINACH SAUCE

Steps:

• Cook noodles in a large pot of boiling water until al dente. Drain.
• Meanwhile prepare the sauce. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, and ham if desired. Cook until onion is transparent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic, and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in thawed spinach. Mix in sour cream, cream of celery soup, and Parmesan cheese. Reduce heat to low, and heat through.
• Serve spinach sauce over spaghetti or egg noodles.

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.

FASTEST PASTA WITH SPINACH SAUCE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and salt it. Meanwhile, mince the garlic as finely as possible and combine it in the bottom of a warm bowl with the red pepper flakes, olives and olive oil.
• Place the pasta in the pot, and cook until it is nearly done (test it for doneness by tasting). Plunge the spinach into the water, and cook until it wilts, less than a minute. Drain quickly, allowing some water to cling to the pasta, and toss pasta and spinach in the bowl with the garlic and olive mixture. Season with salt and pepper, and serve.

SPINACH BEEF MACARONI BAKE

Steps:

• Cook macaroni according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large Dutch oven, cook the beef, onions, carrots and celery over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add the tomatoes, salt, garlic powder, pepper and oregano. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. , Drain macaroni; add macaroni and spinach to beef mixture. Pour into two greased 3-qt. baking dishes. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until heated through.

MACARONI WITH SPINACH SAUCE

Steps:

• Bring large pan of water and 1 tbs olive oil to boil and cook macaroni while still rapidly boiling and cook until al-dente, drain completely.
• Place macaroni in a large serving bowl and sprinkle with another tbsp of olive oil and keep aside.
• Heat butter in a saucepan, add garlic and saute for a minute.
• Add flour and saute for 2-3 minutes.
• Slowly add the milk and go on combining till it forms a creamy consistency.
• Add spinach, 2 tbs grated cheese, salt and pepper to taste and mix. Turn off heat.
• Pour cream mixture over macaroni and mix together well. Garnish with 1-2 tbs of grated cheese before serving.

PASTA WITH SPINACH AND MASCARPONE

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions.
• Meanwhile, if using fresh spinach, rinse, dry, and cut into fine shreds.
• In a large pan, melt the butter and oil. Add the garlic and nutmeg, and when its warm add the spinach. Cook until wilted, about 3-4 minutes.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Add the mascarpone and the cream, the parmesan cheese and a little pasta water, if necessary.
• Season again, if necessary.
• When the pasta is done, drain and reserve some water. Add the pasta to the sauce, mix well. If necessary loosen the mixture with pasta water, added gradually. The pasta should look smoth and silky, not clumpy.
• Serve immediately.

SPINACH ALFREDO SAUCE (BETTER THAN OLIVE GARDEN®)

Steps:

• Heat butter in a saucepan over low heat; cook spinach in the melted butter until warmed, about 1 minute. Add cream and cream cheese to spinach mixture; cook and stir until cream cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.
• Fold Parmesan cheese and garlic powder into spinach mixture; season with salt and pepper. Simmer until sauce is thickened and smooth, about 10 more minutes.

CREAMY MACARONI SPINACH BAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 13 x 9 casserole dish; set aside.
• Cook macaroni according to package; drain.
• Place hot, drained macaroni in a large bowl and toss with butter and softened cream cheese.
• Add all remaining ingredients to the bowl and gently mix together well.
• Pour into the prepared casserole dish.
• Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

LIGHT MACARONI AND CHEESE WITH SPINACH

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400F.
• Spray 8" square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
• In small bowl, whisk 1/4 cup of the milk and flour until smooth.
• In heavy medium saucepan, heat remaining 1 1/2 cups milk over medium heat until steaming.
• Add flour mixture; cook 2-3 minutes or until sauce boils and thickens, whisking constantly.
• Remove from heat; stir in cheddar cheese until melted.
• Stir in cottage cheese, salt, pepper and nutmeg.
• Cook spinach according to package directions; drain.
• Rinse under cold running water; squeeze out excess moisture.
• Cook macaroni in large pot of boiling lightly salted water 4-5 minutes or until not quite tender, stirring often.
• (Macaroni will continue to cook while baking.) Drain; rinse with cold water.
• Drain again.
• In large bowl, stir together cheese sauce and macaroni.
• Spread half of the macaroni mixture in baking dish; spoon spinach over top.
• Spread remaining macaroni mixture over spinach layer; sprinkle with wheat germ.
• (Dish can be made to this point and refrigerated for 2 days or frozen for 2 months. Thaw in refrigerator before baking.) Bake 35-45 minutes or until bubbly and golden.
• TIP*If you can't find wheat germ, substitute an equal amount of Parmesan cheese, cracker crumbs or bread crumbs.
• VARIATION: To make Southwestern Macaroni and Cheese with Peppers, substitute 1 cup grated pepper Jack cheese for 1 cup of the cheddar cheese.
• Omit the nutmeg.
• Add 1 (4 1/2-oz.) can chopped mild green chiles, 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro and dash cayenne pepper to cheese sauce.
• Omit spinach.
• Instead, cook 2 cups thawed frozen pepper stir-fry vegetables in 1 teaspoon olive oil 3 to 4 minutes or until tender.
• Replace spinach with pepper mixture.