Spinach and Ricotta Spaghetti
This is another edition of “super late recipe post”, LOL! I am trying to keep up with my blog posting and cooking but somehow, I always fall short of my goal. Anyway, here is the recipe!
This is one of those “unintentional” pasta dishes. It is one of those nights when you check your fridge and whip up a dish from the ingredients that you have. I made some vegetable pastry roll for my son for his snack the day before this dish and mixed it with some ricotta cheese so there’s some protein in it. Unfortunately, I got lazy and failed to make a blog post about that pastry roll, though (sorry).
I only made just enough to last for his snack for the week and save one batch for freezing. Since I only needed just a bit of ricotta, I had some leftover from the 250g tub. And because ricotta doesn’t last for a long time in the fridge, I have to use it for something else (or bin it, which I never like doing). I even tried looking for a smaller tub even if I’d end up paying for more but the local Tesco’s I usually buy the groceries from only has their own range brand for ricotta cheese at the time.
During the Fridays of Lent (see, it’s been a really looong time since I cooked this dish!), that’s the time I cook no-meat dishes as a form of sacrifice. However, I made this pasta dish not on the Friday of Lent but sometime in the middle of the week. I wanted to make it on a Friday so my husband can have his meat dish but the ‘Best Before End’ date won’t last until then. So, it wasn’t meant to be, I guess and he has to eat more vegetables, LOL!
Anyway, he didn’t complain (much) when I handed it to him for dinner. I think he was quite satisfied that the ricotta sauce was rich and creamy.
Recipe (serves 2):
6 oz spaghetti pasta
1/4 cup frozen spinach, thawed
2 medium sized tomatoes, chopped
125 g ricotta
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp Italian seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
Steps:
Boil some water in a saucepan and cook the spaghetti pasta until about al dente. Drain and set aside. Note: Before totally draining the pasta, keep 1 cup full of pasta water to use for cooking.
Preheat the saucepan and pour some olive oil. When the pan is hot enough, toss the chopped tomatoes in and cook until soft. If the pan is starting to dry, add about 1/4 cup of pasta water at a time. Don’t add too much water (or add everything in one go) so not to make the sauce watery.
Add the Italian seasoning, spinach and ricotta.
When the sauce starts to boil, add the spaghetti and mix well.
Add more pasta water (or just plain water if you used everything) and make sure everything is coated with sauce.
Serve warm and enjoy.
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View Comments
I wish I could be like Sophia Loren and say “Everything I am I owe to spaghetti!” I eat enough spaghetti and love it in almost any kind recipe. I especially like it with spinach.
Yeah, I think cooking pasta dishes is really versatile! It might not be a traditional Italian dish, but anything that tastes great with pasta is good enough for me anyway!
My family enjoy a meal of pasta anytime! The photo looks inviting,thus, I feel like cooking pasta with your recipe tonight.
With ricotta cheese, I cover my 200 grams of cheese in olive oil (I only buy portions), instead of water. If with water, add salt to preserve the ricotta.
Thanks for the comment. And that's a tip I have to try! Will it make the ricotta last longer than the Best Before End date stamped on the tub, though?
With my ricotta whenever I buy small portions, they last longer when soaked in olive oil. My family doesn't share the same liking for ricotta cheese, so, ricotta doesnt get consumed extending it past expiry date :-/.
My family enjoys a meal of pasta anytime! The photo looks inviting,thus, I feel like cooking pasta with your recipe tonight.
With ricotta cheese, I cover my 200 grams of cheese in olive oil (I only buy portions), instead of water. If with water, add salt to preserve the ricotta.
Yes it is a good kitchen recipe for all because it is easy in preparing for children I think a delicious dish My cousin madeonce in this way as Calories
386
19%
Fat
16.4g
23%
Saturates
8.9g
45%
Protein
21.2g
47%
Carbs
39.3g
15%
Sugars
8.8g
10%
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4. Put the spinach and a drizzle of olive oil in a large pan over a low heat. Add the nutmeg, season with salt and pepper, cover and leave to sweat. Help the kids to stir it occasionally until the spinach has cooked down. Place in a bowl and set to one side to cool a little.
In the same pan, heat a drizzle of olive oil and gently sweat the onion until soft. Add the garlic, tomatoes, bay leaf, a few basil leaves and lemon zest and let it gently simmer for 20 minutes until the sauce has thickened. Season with salt and pepper.
Have the kids squeeze the moisture out of the spinach into the bowl. Place the spinach on a board so you can chop it up. Return the spinach to the liquid in the bowl and get the kids to stir in the ricotta, beaten egg and parmesan. Season to taste.
Sit the piping bag in a jug, fold its edges over the rim, then spoon in the spinach mixture. Have the kids help pipe the mixture into the cannelloni tubes and lay them in a 20cm x 25cm oven dish.
Spread the tomato sauce over the cannelloni. Scatter over most of the basil, lay the mozzarella slices on top, drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and season.
Place in the oven and cook for 35–40 minutes or till the top is golden and the pasta tender (if the top browns too fast, cover the dish with foil). Remove from the oven and let stand for a few minutes before serving with the remaining basil.
Great recipe. Thanks for sharing. I always love and enjoy pasta. Whenever I want to cook an easy meal, I choose pasta because it is more easier to cook and is delicious.