Description
A comforting and cheesy baked ziti dish with fresh spinach, perfect for a family meal.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound ziti pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 10 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
- Cook ziti pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain well.
- While the pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more until fragrant.
- Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. This creates the base for your comforting baked ziti with spinach.
- In a medium bowl, combine ricotta cheese, beaten egg, and Parmesan cheese. Stir in the squeezed spinach.
- In a large bowl, combine the cooked ziti, the tomato sauce mixture, and half of the mozzarella cheese. Stir gently to coat the pasta.
- Spread half of the pasta mixture into a 9×13 inch baking dish. Dollop spoonfuls of the ricotta-spinach mixture over the pasta.
- Top with the remaining pasta mixture. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese evenly over the top. This cheesy baked ziti spinach is almost ready!
- Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until bubbly and the cheese is melted and lightly golden.
- Let it rest for a few minutes before serving your delicious spinach baked ziti recipe.
Notes
- For a spicier kick, add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the tomato sauce.
- You can add cooked Italian sausage or ground beef to the sauce for a heartier meal.
- Ensure the spinach is thoroughly squeezed to prevent a watery casserole.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 700mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 55g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 20g
- Cholesterol: 70mg