Sometimes you just need a really good, cheesy pasta dish. This easy dish bakes up quickly, giving you lots of time to toss a salad and set the table. The spinach can be left out if your kids would prefer not to have the green stuff in their pasta, but it's just as good in. I love to serve it with some garlic toast and a tossed green salad.
Ingredients:
250 g Medium egg noodles
3 1/2 cups your favourite tomato pasta sauce
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 bunch fresh spinach, washed, trimmed, and chopped
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 egg, beaten
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp basil
1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Cook pasta according to package directions until el dente. Drain well.
Meanwhile, wilt the spinach in a pan over medium heat, tossing and moving around. Allow to cool before squeezing out the moisture and chopping more thoroughly. In a medium bowl, stir together with the ricotta, egg, garlic, ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, ½ cup mozzarella, pepper, and basil.
Spoon half of the pasta sauce into a shallow 2 litre dish. Layer the pasta on top and then spoon the cheese mixture over the noodles. It will seem very thin, which is fine-just spread it so it mostly covers the noodles. Pour the remaining sauce over, smooth the top, and then sprinkle the remaining cheese on.
Bake, uncovered, for about 20-25 minutes until warmed through, the cheese is melted, and casserole bubbly.
Serves 4
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