In a moment of what-in-the-world-are-we-having-for-dinner-tonight desperation, I went online to find a way to dress up plain old pasta. I never make baked pasta dishes because Bryson inevitably tells me they are a lot like goulash (and he hates goulash). But I found one that was meat-free and looked pretty Italian, so I got his blessing and gave it a try. The original recipe was quite basic and I wanted some additional nutrients, so I decided to add some chopped spinach; Baylor might disagree, but I thought it was a great addition.
So here it is, baked penne with spinach. (Originally it was called "baked ziti" and can be found here on Recipe.com.)
Baked Penne with Spinach
1 jar (24 oz.) of your favorite pasta sauce (I used Prego Heart Smart Traditional.)
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
5 cups cooked and drained penne pasta (about 4 cups uncooked)
1/4 cup shredded spinach, thawed and drained
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1. Stir the penne, pasta sauce, spinach, and 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese in a large bowl.
2. Spoon the mixture into a 2 quart (about 9"x 9") shallow baking dish.
3. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese.
4. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 30 minutes or until hot and bubbling.
If you want to know how to freeze this dish for later consumption, please visit the website linked above.
It was thoroughly delicious, but Baylor was pretty upset about the arrival of spinach into his food so I ended up telling him that it might just be spices. (To this he replied that the only spice he likes is "cinnamon sugar" and that the spice in this dish made it taste "funky".)
Regardless, we liked it and hope you enjoy it as well!
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