Baked Spinach Rigatoni – this cheesy pasta is perfect for a meatless dinner. Once this is served, your family will request it again and again.
It is no secret that I love to make pasta for dinner. I always have and always will.
Rigatoni pasta is especially a favorite. Growing up, my family always served pasta with either a meat sauce or some type of meat.
Now when I cook for my vegetarian daughter, I have my “go to” pasta dishes. This Baked Spinach Rigatoni is one of them.
Even though this is a vegetarian dish, there is no shame in serving it to everyone. It’s a hearty dish and I never miss the meat.
But if I am having a crowd over for dinner, I might also make some spaghetti and meatballs for the carnivores. Add a big arugula salad and some garlic butter breadsticks.
It’s now one heck of a great Italian meal. I usually request that my guests bring a dessert and then it’s time for a party.
This dinner is a perfect casserole to bring to a potluck dinner or party. It can be made in advance then baked right before it is needed.
It transports well and can be made in a disposable foil pan, so you don’t have to worry about bringing home a dirty pan or leaving the dish behind at a friend’s house.
I always keep canned crushed tomatoes and boxes of rigatoni in my house. I prefer fresh tomatoes from my garden (who doesn’t?) but canned are the next best thing if they are not in season.
This recipe makes a great big batch of pasta. There is plenty for a family of six to each have a hearty serving.
If you are a smaller family, the leftovers are great reheated in the microwave the next day. I prefer these leftovers for lunch rather than a deli sandwich any day!
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Baked Spinach Rigatoni Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 16 ounce box Dried Rigatoni Pasta
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 4 cloves Garlic chopped
- 1 16 ounce bag Frozen Chopped Spinach
- 1 28 ounce can Crushed Tomatoes
- 14 ounces Tomato Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Dried Italian Herbs
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 2 cups Part-Skim Ricotta Cheese
- 1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 8 ounces Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Cook rigatoni a la dente according to box instructions. Drain when cooked.
- In a large sauce pan, heat oil to medium high and sauté garlic for a few minutes until it starts to get translucent.
- Add the spinach, crushed tomatoes, sauce and Italian seasoning. Bring mixture to a simmer, cover and reduce heat to low.
- Cook for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- When pasta is drained, add to the sauce pot and remove from heat. Gently mix in the parmesan and ricotta cheese.
- Pour the pasta mixture into a large casserole pan and sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Loosely cover with aluminum foil. Bake for about 30 minutes or until pasta is bubbling. Remove foil and cook for 5 more minutes or until cheese melts and starts to turn golden.