Baked Pasta with Spinach, Ricotta and Proscuitto
Here is another recipe courtesy of my new iPhone app. After a long week, it was a super easy meal to prepare on a Sunday night.
I would suggest a few changes to the recipe to amp up the flavor. In addition to the 1/2 cup of parmesan sprinkled on top of the dish, I added 1/2 cup of parmesan to the ricotta – pasta – spinach mixture. Also, be sure to season the mixture with plenty of salt and pepper. I used about 3/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes instead of regular black pepper. Lastly, make sure to squeeze all the water out of the frozen spinach; otherwise, you’ll end up with too much liquid in the dish.
Next time I might consider a mixture of proscuitto and some hot sopressata.
Tim and I have plenty leftover so dinner one night this week is set!
Baked Gemelli with Spinach, Ricotta, and Prosciutto
Everyday Food
- Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 pound gemelli pasta
- 20 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed
- 6 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, cut crosswise into strips
- 2 cups whole-milk ricotta cheese
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt and pasta; cook until almost al dente.
Meanwhile, squeeze spinach to remove moisture. Drain pasta, and return to pot. Add spinach, half of the prosciutto, ricotta, milk, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, and mix well to combine.
Transfer to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, top with remaining prosciutto and Parmesan. Bake until golden and crispy, 30 to 40 minutes.