Baked Penne With Spinach Ricotta Fontina Recipes

CHEESY SPINACH BAKED PENNE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Mist a 2 to 2 1/2-quart rectangular or oval baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the penne and cook according to package directions for al dente.
• While the pasta cooks, heat the oil in a medium pot set over medium heat. Add the fennel seeds and garlic and cook until aromatic, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, basil sprig, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Simmer, lowering the heat if the sauce bubbles too vigorously, until the sauce has thickened slightly, the flavors have blended together and the raw tomato taste has cooked out, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, discard the basil and season with additional salt and pepper. Pour over the cooked pasta and toss well to coat. Add the cubed mozzarella and transfer half the pasta to the prepared baking dish.
• Put the cottage cheese in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. Add the shredded mozzarella and Parmesan and pulse two to three times. Combine half the cottage cheese mixture with the spinach and mix to break up the spinach. Drop in spoonfuls over the pasta in the baking dish. Top the spinach layer with the rest of the pasta and then the remaining cottage cheese mixture.
• Bake until bubbly and golden brown on top, about 30 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes, and then scatter the torn basil over the top.

BAKED PENNE WITH SPINACH, RICOTTA & FONTINA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Lightly oil a 9 x 13-inch ceramic baking dish.
• Cook the penne in boiling salted water until al dente, about 9 minutes. (It will cook more in the oven so you don't want it completely cooked.) Drain, then place the cooked penne back in the pan and set aside.
• In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade, combine the spinach, basil, ricotta, cream cheese, half-and-half, 1 cup of the fontina, 3 tablespoons of the Parmigiano Reggiano, garlic, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Process until puréed.
• Add the spinach mixture to the pasta and stir to combine. Transfer to the prepared baking dish. Top with the remaining fontina and Parmigiano Reggiano. Bake until the pasta is bubbling and the top is golden in spots, about 20 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes, then serve.

CREAMY BAKED PENNE WITH CHICKEN, SPINACH, AND FONTINA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until the golden, about 2 minutes. Add both cans of the tomatoes, the heavy cream and 3/4 cup of water. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat slightly and simmer rapidly, uncovered, until thickened, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the ricotta and season with salt and pepper.
• Cook the penne in the salted boiling water until very al dente, about 2 minutes less than the package directions. Drain the pasta and add it to a large bowl.
• Add the tomato sauce, spinach, rotisserie chicken, half of the fontina and pecorino and all of the basil to the bowl and stir well to combine. Transfer the pasta to a 3- to 4-quart baking dish and top with the remaining fontina and pecorino. Bake, uncovered, until browned, about 15 minutes. Let the pasta rest for about 10 minutes before serving.

BAKED RIGATONI WITH SPINACH, RICOTTA, AND FONTINA

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Oil a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
• In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the rigatoni until almost done, about 12 minutes.
• Drain.
• Put the pasta in the prepared baking dish and toss with 1 tablespoon of the oil.
• Meanwhile, squeeze as much of the water as possible from the spinach.
• Put the spinach in a food processor and puree with the ricotta, 3 tablespoons of the Parmesan, the nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
• Stir in half the fontina.
• Stir the spinach mixture into the pasta.
• Top with the remaining fontina and Parmesan.
• Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over the top.
• Bake the pasta until the top is golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
• VARIATION:.
• You can substitute another chunky pasta, such as penne rigate, penne, ziti, or fusilli. Boil all of these one or two minutes less.