Creamy spinach & ricotta pasta bake with an array of veggies, finished with crunchy panko crumbs in the oven.
1. Set oven to 220ºC, grill. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente (see notes). Drain.
2. Heat a large deep pan (see notes) with oil/butter. Chop onion, crush garlic and cut cauliflower into small florets. Add to the pan as you go. Season with 1 tsp oregano, salt and pepper.
3. Slice or tear the turkey, add to pan with tinned cherry tomatoes. Trim, rinse and roughly chop English spinach (see notes), add to pan to wilt.
4. Slice basil leaves, stir into sauce with ricotta. Toss in pasta and combine well. Adjust seasoning if needed with salt and pepper.
5. Scatter pasta with panko crumbs, bake for 2-4 minutes or until golden.
6. Serve pasta bake at the table.
NOTES
Boil the pasta for 1-2 minutes shorter than what the packet instructions state to ensure it doesn’t get very overcooked in the bake.
Use a large, deep oven-proof pan if you have! If not, you can transfer the pasta and sauce to an oven dish at step 5, just prior to baking (or serve as is!).
Separate spinach bunch and soak in a large bowl of water to easily help remove sand and dirt.
Gluten friendly option - pasta is replaced with GF pasta. Panko crumbs are replaced with flaked almonds.
2. Heat a large deep pan (see notes) with oil/butter. Chop onion, crush garlic and cut cauliflower into small florets. Add to the pan as you go. Season with 1 tsp oregano, salt and pepper.
3. Slice or tear the turkey, add to pan with tinned cherry tomatoes. Trim, rinse and roughly chop English spinach (see notes), add to pan to wilt.
4. Slice basil leaves, stir into sauce with ricotta. Toss in pasta and combine well. Adjust seasoning if needed with salt and pepper.
5. Scatter pasta with panko crumbs, bake for 2-4 minutes or until golden.
6. Serve pasta bake at the table.
NOTES
Boil the pasta for 1-2 minutes shorter than what the packet instructions state to ensure it doesn’t get very overcooked in the bake.
Use a large, deep oven-proof pan if you have! If not, you can transfer the pasta and sauce to an oven dish at step 5, just prior to baking (or serve as is!).
Separate spinach bunch and soak in a large bowl of water to easily help remove sand and dirt.
Gluten friendly option - pasta is replaced with GF pasta. Panko crumbs are replaced with flaked almonds.
Rigatoni pasta, 1 packet (250g)
Brown onion, 1
Garlic, 2 cloves
Cauliflower, 1/2 *
Turkey, 1 packet (200g)
Cherry tomatoes (tin), 400g
English spinach, 1 bunch
Basil, 1 packet
Ricotta, 2/3 tub (330g) *
Panko crumbs, 1 packet (50g)
FROM YOUR PANTRY
oil/butter (for cooking), salt, pepper, dried oregano
Brown onion, 1
Garlic, 2 cloves
Cauliflower, 1/2 *
Turkey, 1 packet (200g)
Cherry tomatoes (tin), 400g
English spinach, 1 bunch
Basil, 1 packet
Ricotta, 2/3 tub (330g) *
Panko crumbs, 1 packet (50g)
FROM YOUR PANTRY
oil/butter (for cooking), salt, pepper, dried oregano