Penne And Spinach Bake Recipes

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.

AWESOME PENNE SPINACH BAKE

Steps:

• Set oven to 350 degrees.
• Grease a 13" x 9" baking pan.
• Cook the pasta only to firm-tender (don't overcook, as the pasta will cook more when baked in the oven) according to package directions (omit the salt in the water); drain, set aside.
• In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the butter over med-high heat.
• Add in the chopped onion (if using) and the garlic; saute for 5 minutes.
• Whisk in the flour, thyme, nutmeg and black pepper; cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Gradually whisk in the half and half; cook for 4 minutes, until thick and bubbly.
• Add in the grated Swiss cheese, and the Parmesan cheese; mix well over low heat, until the cheese has melted, and the sauce is hot and bubbly; remove the saucepan from the heat.
• In a large bowl, combine the cream/cheese sauce, 1/2 cup of the remaining Swiss cheese (it is not necessery to add the remaining 1/2 cup cheese, you may omit if desired), chopped tomato, and the spinach; stir well.
• Spoon the mixture into a prepared greased baking pan.
• In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, melted butter and the Parmesan cheese.
• Sprinkle the mixture over the casserole in the baking pan.
• Bake for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
• Note: this recipes calls for NO salt, as the grated Parmesan cheese produces enough salty taste, but if you do choose to add salt, add just a small amount (to taste with the cream sauce) at a time, otherwise it tends to get too salty.

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 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.

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 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.

BURGER BAKED PENNE WITH SPINACH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350f degrees.
• Cook penne in salted water to al dente.
• Drain and set aside.
• In a nonstick frypan scramble fry hamburger until no pink remains, about 5 minutes, drain fat if necessary, add stewed tomatoes, jalepeno if using, simmer 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add parmesan cheese, stir to mix, add salt and pepper, simmer 2 minutes until cheese melts.
• Add spinach, turning over and over until spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes.
• Spray a casserole with veggie spray, turn hamburger mix into casserole, add penne, stir to combine.
• Srinkle cheddar cheese over top.
• Set, uncovered, on middle rack in 350f degrees oven, bake for about 20 minutes, until bubbly and hot.
• Serve with a green salad.

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.