Name: Baked Penne with Spinach, Ricotta and Fontina Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 lb penne; 10 oz frozen spinach; ½ cup basil leaves; 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese; 4 oz cream cheese; 2 cups half-and-half; 6 oz grated fontina; 5 tbsp finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano; 2 cloves garlic; 1 tsp salt; ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper; ¼ tsp ground nutmeg

baked-penned-with-spinach-ricotta-and-fontina-recipe

How To Make Baked Penne with Spinach, Ricotta and Fontina

This loaded baked penne is packed with earthy spinach, four types of cheese, and minty basil, for a belly-filling and creamy pasta meal.

Preparation: 10 minutes

Cooking: 30 minutes

Total: 40 minutes

Serves:

Ingredients

1lbpenne
10ozfrozen spinach,thawed, squeezed dry
½cupbasil leaves,roughly chopped
1cupwhole milk ricotta cheese
4ozcream cheese
2cupshalf-and-half
6ozfontina,grated, divided
5tbspparmigiano reggiano,finely grated, divided
2garlic cloves,roughly chopped
1tspsalt
¼tspfreshly ground black pepper
¼tspground nutmeg

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Lightly oil a 9×13-inch ceramic baking dish.
Cook the penne in boiling salted water for about 9 minutes, until al dente. 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 for about 20 minutes, until the pasta is bubbling and the top is golden in spots. Let cool for a few minutes.
Serve warm, and enjoy!