Baked Pasta with Sausage and Spinach Recipe

Baked Pasta with Sausage and Spinach Recipe

How To Make Baked Pasta with Sausage and Spinach

Sausage and spinach both add smoky and slightly spicy hints to this baked pasta. It’s made with 3 kinds of cheese for a tastier bite and balanced flavors.

Preparation: 25 minutes
Cooking: 35 minutes
Total: 1 hour

Serves:

Ingredients

  • olive oil spray
  • ½cuppecorino romano,grated
  • 8ozfat free ricotta
  • 8ozpart skim mozzarella,shredded
  • 14ozsweet Italian chicken sausage,uncooked
  • 12ozrigatoni pasta,wheat or gluten-free
  • 1tspolive oil
  • 2clovesgarlic,smashed, roughly chopped
  • 10ozfrozen spinach,(1 package) chopped, thawed, and squeezed of excess liquid
  • salt and fresh pepper,to taste
  • 4cups*marinara sauce,(see Recipe Notes for recipe)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with olive oil spray.

  2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

  3. In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, 6 tablespoons of the Pecorino Romano cheese, and ½ of the mozzarella cheese.

  4. Meanwhile, in a large deep skillet, brown the sausage breaking up into small bits until cooked through; set aside.

  5. Add the oil to the skillet and sauté garlic for about 1 minute, careful not to burn. Add spinach and season with a little salt and pepper and cook for 1 minute more.

  6. Return the sausage to the skillet and add the marinara sauce; cook on low for about 2 to 3 minutes.

  7. When the pasta water comes to a boil, cook pasta according to instructions for al dente, but undercook them by 4 minutes less. Drain and return to pot.

  8. Put ½ of the cooked pasta into the prepared baking dish and top with ½ of the meat sauce.

  9. Spoon the ricotta mixture on top of the sauce in an even layer.

  10. Cover with the remaining pasta and the remaining sauce. Top with the remaining mozzarella and Pecorino Romano cheese.

  11. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.

  12. Remove foil and bake for an additional 6 to 7 minutes or until the mozzarella is melted and the edges are lightly browned.

  13. Serve and enjoy.

Recipe Notes

*Check out the Quick Marinara Sauce Recipe to learn how to make an easy and quick sauce.

Nutrition

  • Calories: 542.85kcal
  • Fat: 26.28g
  • Saturated Fat: 9.62g
  • Trans Fat: 0.08g
  • Monounsaturated Fat: 10.17g
  • Polyunsaturated Fat: 3.73g
  • Carbohydrates: 47.17g
  • Fiber: 4.98g
  • Sugar: 9.28g
  • Protein: 28.96g
  • Cholesterol: 91.45mg
  • Sodium: 1276.64mg
  • Calcium: 490.32mg
  • Potassium: 890.77mg
  • Iron: 3.49mg
  • Vitamin A: 287.97µg
  • Vitamin C: 12.83mg
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