This dinner is a favorite of ours and I finally took pictures so I could share it with you all!  We have pasta most Mondays and we love switching it up. I love this recipe because it’s healthy without sacrificing flavor. It has some of my favorite ingredients: whole wheat pasta, spinach, tomatoes, garlic, ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan!

I love how much spinach is in it. It calls for using frozen, thawed spinach but I’ve made it with an entire bag of spinach (chopped and sauteed in olive oil) and that is so delicious too!

All the ingredients except half the mozzarella are mixed together then put in the casserole dish. Top it with the rest of the mozzarella then bake it up!

Enjoy!

One Year Ago: Breakfast Casserole (Crock Pot)

Two Years Ago: How to Shred Chicken in 20 Seconds!

Three Years Ago: Peking Pineapple Ham

Low Fat Baked Penne with Spinach

Print

Ingredients

• 12 oz. uncooked penne (or ziti)
• 28 oz. crushed tomatoes (I use diced tomatoes and crush them up a little)
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 10 oz. frozen spinach, thawed (squeeze out some of the moisture)
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil (or 1 tsp. dried basil)
• salt and fresh pepper to taste
• 8 oz. fat-free ricotta
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 cups (8 oz.) shredded part skim mozzarella
• olive oil cooking spray

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
2. In a large pot of salted water, cook pasta according to instructions until al dente. (Do not overcook) Drain and return to pot.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, add the olive oil and sauté garlic. Add chopped spinach, salt pepper and crushed tomatoes. Season with basil, oregano, salt and pepper.
4. Add the sauce to the pasta and stir to combine. Add Parmesan cheese, ricotta and half of the mozzarella. Mix well.
5. Pour the pasta mixture into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Top with the remaining mozzarella.
6. Bake for 30 minutes, or until mozzarella is melted and the edges are lightly browned. Let it cool 5 minutes, then serve.

Notes

You can use fresh spinach, just roughly chop and saute in a little olive oil for a few minutes.

This can be made up to a day in advance and stored, tightly covered, in the refrigerator. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.