Creamy Spinach and Ricotta Pasta Bake
When you want comfort food without a sink full of dishes.
This is the dinner to make when you’re tired, a little hungry, and not in the mood to babysit a complicated recipe. It gives you the cozy feel of a baked pasta casserole with the gentler lift of ricotta, spinach, and a creamy tomato sauce. You can cook the pasta and finish the whole dish in one oven-safe pan, then let the oven do the rest while you set the table or do nothing at all. Expect soft, spoonable pasta, browned cheesy edges, and a very forgiving recipe that still tastes like real dinner.
Ingredients
- 12 oz short pasta — such as penne, rigatoni, or ziti
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 unit garlic cloves — minced
- 24 oz jarred marinara sauce
- 1 cup water
- 15 oz ricotta cheese
- 5 oz baby spinach
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese — shredded
- 1 cup parmesan cheese — grated, divided
- 1 tsp salt
- 0.5 tsp black pepper
- 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes — optional
- 1 tbsp butter — for the pan
- 2 tbsp fresh basil — chopped, optional
Method
- 1 Heat the oven to 400°F. Butter a large oven-safe skillet or deep sauté pan.
- 2 Set the pan over medium heat and add the olive oil and garlic. Cook for 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
- 3 Stir in the marinara sauce, water, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes if using. Add the dry pasta and bring to a gentle simmer.
- 4 Cover and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the pasta is just shy of tender and most of the liquid is absorbed.
- 5 Stir in the ricotta and spinach. When the spinach wilts down, scatter the mozzarella and 3/4 cup of the parmesan over the top.
- 6 Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until bubbling. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes if you want more browning, then rest 5 minutes before serving. Finish with basil and the remaining parmesan.
Variations
- Vegetarian swap — Keep it as written, or add sautéed mushrooms or zucchini for extra vegetables without changing the cozy feel.
- Faster swap — Use no-boil pasta if your skillet is roomy enough, and start checking for tenderness a few minutes earlier.
- Substitutions — Use cottage cheese instead of ricotta for a lighter version, or swap mozzarella for provolone or fontina if that’s what you have.
Notes
If the sauce looks too thick before baking, splash in a little more water. If it looks loose, let it simmer uncovered for a minute before adding the cheese. This also works well with whole milk ricotta for a richer result.
Equipment that helps
- Large oven-safe skillet or deep sauté pan — It lets you move from stovetop to oven without dirtying a second pan.
- Wooden spoon — It makes it easy to stir the pasta gently without breaking it.
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