Garlicky Baked Penne

I am completely exhausted. I had a very intensive work retreat on Monday and Tuesday. It was great fun but also very demanding.  I am pretty drained and would probably still be in bed if I had not had to be in the office.

All I can think about is pasta.  I think my tiredness is calling for comfort food.  We made this pasta dish last week from two peas and their pod and I really wish we had leftovers still. 

I changed it up just a bit since Mr. J isn't a big ricotta fan. I also added more garlic and you could definitely taste it in the pasta. We thought it was wonderful.

Garlicky Baked Penne

by Adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Keywords: bake entree garlic Italian

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Ingredients (serves 6)

• 12 ounces penne pasta
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 large egg
• 3 clove garlic, minced
• 10 oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and strained
• Pinch of nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasonings
• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• 2 cups marinara sauce
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.

Cook the pasta according to instructions for al dente. Drain and set aside.

In a bowl, combine the ricotta, parmesan, and egg. Stir until smooth. Add the garlic, spinach, nutmeg, dried basil, crushed red pepper, and salt and pepper.

Put half of the pasta into the prepared baking dish and top with half of the marinara sauce. Spoon the spinach ricotta mixture on top of the sauce in an even layer. Sprinkle half of the mozzarella cheese over the mixture. Cover with the remaining pasta and the remaining sauce. Top with the remaining mozzarella cheese.

Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes or until the mozzarella is melted. Turn oven up to broil and place pan at the top rack. Keep a close watch cook until cheese starts to brown, about 3 more minutes. Serve warm.

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