Cheesy baked penne with sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, ricotta and melted mozzarella—easy weeknight comfort for four.
# What You Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 340 g penne or rigatoni
→ Sauce & Vegetables
02 - 30 mL olive oil
03 - 1 small yellow onion (about 70 g), finely chopped
04 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
05 - 400 g canned crushed tomatoes
06 - 70 g sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and sliced
07 - 120 g fresh baby spinach
08 - 5 mL dried oregano
09 - 2.5 mL red pepper flakes (optional)
10 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
→ Cheese
11 - 100 g shredded mozzarella
12 - 50 g finely grated Parmesan
13 - 250 g ricotta cheese
→ Garnish
14 - Fresh basil leaves, torn, to taste
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 190°C. Lightly oil a 23x33 cm baking dish and set aside.
02 - Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook until just al dente—about 1–2 minutes less than the package recommends. Drain and set aside.
03 - Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté until softened, about 3–4 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Stir in the crushed tomatoes, sliced sun-dried tomatoes, dried oregano and red pepper flakes if using. Reduce heat and simmer gently for 5 minutes to marry the flavors.
05 - Fold the baby spinach into the sauce and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste, then remove the skillet from the heat.
06 - Stir the ricotta into the sauce, then fold in half of the shredded mozzarella and half of the grated Parmesan until evenly distributed.
07 - Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss gently until every piece is coated with the sauce and cheese mixture.
08 - Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan uniformly over the top. Bake in the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes, until the surface is golden and bubbling.
09 - Remove from oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with torn basil leaves before portioning and serving.
