Baked Tomato Pasta with Spinach
Ingredients
- ngredients:
- 2 cup whole-wheat penne
- 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon olive oil divided
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 4 cup baby spinach chopped
- 3 cup diced tomato divided
- 1 tbs dried oregano or any herb
- Pinch of salt
- 3/4 cup shredded low- fat cheddar cheese divided
Instructions
- Directions: Preheat oven to 350 F. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a skillet over medium. Add garlic and stir until fragrant. Add spinach and 2 cups of tomato; cook for 4 minutes, until spinach wilts. In a medium bowl, combine the remaining 1 cup of tomato, herbs, and salt. Transfer the cooked tomato mixture to the bowl and stir well. Add pasta to tomato mixture and combine thoroughly. Stir in 1∕2 the cup of the cheese. Grease the bottom of the baking dish with the remaining 1 teaspoon oil. Pour tomato pasta mixture into the dish. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes, then remove from oven and sprinkle with remaining 1∕4 cup cheese. Bake until cheese melts, about 4 more minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
My opinion:
I liked the spinach chopped up to give for more even cooking. Do not overcook the spinach. When it starts to wilt, kill the heat. It will keep cooking. Instead of adding everything to a second bowl, I just used the dish I put in the oven to combine everything. Instead of oregano, I used Italian seasoning and fresh basil. Don’t skimp on these, the flavor is so much better with them.
I liked the spinach chopped up to give for more even cooking. Do not overcook the spinach. When it starts to wilt, kill the heat. It will keep cooking. Instead of adding everything to a second bowl, I just used the dish I put in the oven to combine everything. Instead of oregano, I used Italian seasoning and fresh basil. Don’t skimp on these, the flavor is so much better with them.