This cheesy, creamy baked spinach and ricotta pasta is loaded with two types of shredded cheese, blanched spinach, and whole milk ricotta. It’s a fast and easy meal that can be bulked up with your protein of choice or enjoyed as a hearty vegetarian entree.
Meet My New Favorite Weeknight Dinner
This spinach and ricotta pasta bake reminds me of my favorite manicotti — the creamy ricotta, spinach, and melty cheeses — minus the part where I have to stuff a those slippery little pasta tubes.
I love manicotti, but I’m also a realist. Sometimes you just want to get dinner in the oven, and this is my solution to the weekly dinner dilemma. Al dente pasta gets tossed with blanched spinach and creamy whole milk ricotta, then showered with Parmesan and fontina before taking a turn in the oven.
It’s vegetarian, easy enough for a weeknight, and guaranteed to have everyone hovering around the oven asking, “Is it ready yet?”
Enjoy!
What’s in This Recipe?
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Pasta — I used penne this time, but any short pasta shape will work. Ziti and rigatoni also work well.
- Baby spinach — I prefer blanching fresh spinach in the leftover pasta water, but you’re welcome to sub in frozen spinach. If using frozen, thaw it completely and wring it really well to remove the excess moisture (you won’t have to blanch it, FYI).
- Ricotta — Use only whole milk ricotta please! Low-fat ricottas tend to be watery and bland, so I stick to whole milk when making cheesy pasta bakes like this one.
- Eggs — Help bind everything together and make it possible to slice and serve the baked pasta.
- Half and half — Adds richness and creaminess without making the spinach ricotta pasta taste super heavy. I don’t recommend subbing in whole milk, which is too thin for this recipe.
- Cheese — I used a quality Italian fontina and block of Parmesan, both of which I shredded myself. Hand-shredded cheeses melt better and won’t go grainy on you when baked.
- Herbs and spices — You can add more garlic than the recipe calls for if you’re a garlic lover, and you’ll also need a fresh dill, salt, and pepper to round things out.
Ingredient Swaps and Substitutions
- Add basil pesto to the ricotta mixture for extra herby flavor
- Toss the pasta with cooked and crumbled Italian sausage or shredded rotisserie chicken before baking
- Mix and match cheeses to use up what’s in the fridge
- Add roasted or sautéed veggies to bulk up the pasta bake (roasted tomatoes or artichoke hearts would be especially tasty)
- Use your favorite gluten-free pasta to keep this dish GF
How to Make This Baked Spinach Ricotta Pasta in 4 Steps
- Boil the pasta, but don’t drain the water! It’s super important that you cook the pasta a couple minutes less than the box instructs. It will be fairly chewy at this stage, but it will soften as it bakes in the oven. Use a spider strainer to remove the pasta from the boiling water rather than dumping it into a colander, because we’re going to use the water to blanch the spinach.
- Repurpose the pasta water to blanch the spinach. Spinach blanches in just 30 seconds, so have your colander or fine mesh strainer handy! The spinach needs to drain before it can be squeezed to remove all that excess water.
- Make the ricotta mixture. Combine the eggs, ricotta, and half and half in a large bowl, then add the shredded cheeses and seasonings.
- Toss and bake. After stirring the pasta and spinach into the ricotta mixture, turn it into a 9 x13-inch baking dish and bake at 350ºF until golden. I always sprinkle a little extra cheese on top before baking!
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below, leave a comment to tell us what you think, and tag me on Instagram @foodiecrush.
Baked Spinach and Ricotta Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried penne , rigatoni, or ziti
- 1 1 /2 pounds baby spinach leaves
- 1 ½ pounds whole milk ricotta cheese
- 4 eggs , lightly beaten
- 1 cup half and half
- 2 cups shredded Italian fontina , divided
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese , divided
- 2 garlic cloves , pressed or finely minced
- ¼ cup chopped fresh dill
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon butter
Instructions
- Cook the noodles and blanch the spinach. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cook 1 pound dried penne in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until al dente. Use a slotted spoon or spider to transfer the noodles to a strainer, reserving the salted cooking water in the pot. Bring the water back to a boil, then blanch 1 1 /2 pounds baby spinach leaves, drain, and squeeze to remove excess liquid. Finely chop the spinach, then add to the pasta.
- Prep the ricotta mixture. In a large mixing bowl, mix 1 ½ pounds whole milk ricotta cheese, 4 eggs, and 1 cup half and half until smooth. Add the pasta and spinach to the bowl with 1 cup shredded Italian fontina, ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, 2 garlic cloves, ¼ cup chopped fresh dill, ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes. Stir to combine.
- Bake and enjoy. Grease a 4-quart baking dish (9 X 13-inch casserole dish) with 1 tablespoon butter. Spoon the pasta mixture into the baking dish and top with the remaining 1 cup fontina and ½ cup Parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until golden.
Notes
Nutrition
Sides to Make This a Meal
More Easy Baked Pasta Recipes
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