Spinach and Ricotta Baked Pasta | Book of Elsa

Firstly, this makes a lot. Like a lot of pasta. Easily feed 10. 

Leftovers are reason enough to not reduce quantities, also once cooled and wrapped they will live quite happily in your freezer for that one day when the thought of cooking makes you want to cry <please say it happens to everyone>

Another reason for making hedious amounts of this pasta, not that you need one is the fact that it does feed a lot. This is my carb contigent when a crowd comes over, I won't even bake it: just cook the pasta all the way through and serve with grated cheese for people to help themselves. Also, it is DELICIOUS.

Ingredients:

2 balls of mozzarella not buffalo. Sliced into rounds.

250g ricotta

200g grated emmental

1kg pasta

20g unsalted butter

1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 teaspoons of sugar

100ml wine

450g frozen spinach

2 cans chopped tomatoes

salt

pepper

nutmeg

Method:

Fill the largest pot you have with water and bring to a boil. salt generously and par boil the pasta for 5 minutes. drain as best you can and put back in the pan with the butter.

season the ricotta with salt, pepper and grated nutmeg. mix and set aside.

in a pan big enough to take all the sauce later <about 2 litres> sweat the onion in a tablespoon of olive oil and add the crushed garlic.

add the oregano, tomato, sugar, spinach, wine, rinse the cans with water and add to the sauce, season to taste and bring to a gentle simmer for 20 minutes.

it should be watery, remember the pasta will absorb some of the liquid.

mix the pasta and tomato sauce, add the ricotta and mozzarella, season again and place in oven proof dish. 

divide the grated emmental between the dishes and bake at 150℃ for 30 minutes or until the top is golden and crispy