Name: Lemony Spinach Pesto Pasta Bake
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 3 cup spinach; 1/2 cup olive oil; 8 clove garlic; 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese; salt; 2 cup ricotta cheese; 2 lemons; 16 oz pasta; 3 cup mozzarella cheese

Lemony Spinach Pesto Pasta Bake

Author: ajhataway Cooking Method: Baking, Stovetop Courses: Main Dish, Pasta Recipe Keys: Vegetarian

Print Recipe

Prep Time 30 mins Cook Time 30 mins Total Time 1 hr Servings: 6

Ingredients

3 cup spinach (tightly packed; divided)
¹⁄₂ cup olive oil
8 clove garlic (roughly chopped)
¹⁄₂ cup Parmesan cheese (freshly grated)
salt
2 cup ricotta cheese
2 lemons (zest, juice, and pulp)
16 oz pasta (cooked almost al dente)
3 cup mozzarella cheese

Instructions

For the lemon-spinach pesto, blend 2 3/4 cups spinach with the olive oil, garlic, and Parmesan in a food processor, adding more olive oil if mixture is too thick. Salt to taste.
Combine ricotta with lemon juice, pulp, and zest, then season with salt to taste. Beat mixture for approximately 3 minutes until smooth.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray a 9x13 baking dish.
Spread 1/2 cup pesto over the bottom of baking pan. Top with 1/3 of cooked pasta, then 1/3 of ricotta mixture, then 1/3 pesto. Repeat layers. Top final layer with remaining spinach and then mozzarella.
Bake pasta, uncovered, for about 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly throughout. Turn oven to broil for 2-3 minutes to lightly brown cheese before removing from oven.
Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Lemony Spinach Pesto Pasta Bake

Lemony Spinach Pesto Pasta Bake

Ingredients

Instructions

For the lemon-spinach pesto, blend 2 3/4 cups spinach with the olive oil, garlic, and Parmesan in a food processor, adding more olive oil if mixture is too thick. Salt to taste.

Combine ricotta with lemon juice, pulp, and zest, then season with salt to taste. Beat mixture for approximately 3 minutes until smooth.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray a 9x13 baking dish.

Spread 1/2 cup pesto over the bottom of baking pan. Top with 1/3 of cooked pasta, then 1/3 of ricotta mixture, then 1/3 pesto. Repeat layers. Top final layer with remaining spinach and then mozzarella.

Bake pasta, uncovered, for about 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly throughout. Turn oven to broil for 2-3 minutes to lightly brown cheese before removing from oven.

Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

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