Baked Penne Florentine

Submitted by Chef Argyle

"I concocted this recipe to jazz up my usual baked penne dish (which is just penne, cheese, & sauce). This takes it to a new level without adding much work....and it's delicious!"

 

• Ready In: 1hr
• Ingredients: 9
• Yields: 1 casserole
• Serves: 8-10

ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) box penne pasta
• 1 (24 ounce) jar tomato sauce (I prefer Barilla)
• 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 (9 ounce) bag spinach
• 15 ounces ricotta cheese
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1⁄2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and spinach and saute, turning frequently, until spinach is wilted (about 5 minutes). Set aside to cool.
3. Cook pasta according to "al dente" directions on box.
4. While pasta is cooking, put spinach in a food processor and pulse to finely chop (you can chop by hand if you want).
5. In a large bowl mix the cheeses, spinach, sauce, and tomatoes.
6. When pasta has finished cooking, drain and add to the cheese mixture.
7. Put pasta mixture into a 9x13 baking dish and bake covered for 30 minutes, then uncovered for 10 minutes.