Spinach Ricotta Bake (Printable Version)

Layers of gooey mozzarella, creamy ricotta, spinach, and a burst of tomato sauce come together and bake until hot and bubbly.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 10 ounces uncooked ziti or your favorite short-shaped pasta

→ Ricotta Mixture

02 - 1 pound container of ricotta
03 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
04 - 1/2 cup grated parmesan
05 - 2 garlic cloves, smashed
06 - 12 ounces defrosted chopped spinach, squeezed dry
07 - 3/4 teaspoon salt plus a few grinds of black pepper

→ Shortcut Pasta Sauce

08 - 1 tablespoon good olive oil
09 - 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
10 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
11 - 1 teaspoon onion powder
12 - 24 ounces smooth tomato passata
13 - 2 teaspoons dried Italian herb mix
14 - 1 teaspoon salt
15 - 1 teaspoon sugar
16 - 1/2 teaspoon dried chili flakes (if you like heat)
17 - Black pepper, freshly cracked
18 - 2 tablespoons water, if sauce looks too thick

→ Cheese Topping

19 - 1 and 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella for sprinkling

→ To Serve

20 - Some extra grated parmesan

# Step-by-Step Guide:

01 - Turn your oven on to 350°F, which is about 180°C.
02 - Take out about a quarter cup from the tomato passata so you’ve got some room. Then pour in the olive oil, chopped garlic, onion and garlic powders, Italian herbs, chili flakes if you want it spicy, salt, sugar, and black pepper right into the bottle. Put the lid back on and shake it up until everything’s mixed together.
03 - Cook your ziti in a big pot with salty water, but stop cooking a minute early. Save a cup of that starchy water before you drain, then leave your pasta off to the side.
04 - Grab a huge bowl and dump in ricotta, parmesan, smashed garlic, dry spinach, mozzarella, and salt with some pepper. Stir it all up until it’s blended and creamy, adding a splash of the hot pasta water if it still seems thick.
05 - Toss your drained noodles with the ricotta mixture so it all gets coated. Scoop it all into a big oven-safe dish and spread it out.
06 - Drizzle the pasta sauce all across the top, then shower it with your mozzarella cheese.
07 - Loosely cover the dish with foil. Bake for 25 minutes, then pull off the foil and keep baking for about 10 minutes until your cheese looks golden and bubbly.
08 - Let it cool for a few minutes, then dish it up while it’s hot. Sprinkle some extra parmesan on top if you like.

# Additional Notes:

01 - Make your ricotta mixture silky by stirring in a little pasta water.
02 - Leftovers? Just stick them in the fridge. You can microwave to reheat. Want to prep early? Pop the assembled bake in the freezer before you put it in the oven.
03 - Swap frozen spinach for a big bunch of fresh, shredded spinach to change things up.
04 - No passata at home? Go for tomato pasta sauce instead.

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