Spinach and Pasta Bake
I ended up making this bake after I tried to cook a spinach dish that didn’t turn out as I wanted. The spinach became too soft, I accidentally made it into puree, and the texture wasn’t to everyone’s liking. Not wanting to throw anything away, I tried to turn everything into a kind of pasta bake. The result was surprisingly good and, honestly, it has become one of the recipes I make regularly when I have leftover cooked spinach or when I want something hearty with lots of cheese.
Quick Info
Total time: About 1 hour and 20 minutes
Preparation time: 20-30 minutes
Baking time: 50 minutes
Servings: 4-6, depending on portion size
Difficulty: Medium, especially due to the multiple steps
Recipe type: Savory pasta bake, suitable for lunch or dinner
Ingredients
500 g fresh or frozen spinach
1/2 cup milk
2 cloves of garlic
A slightly less than a tablespoon of flour
3 eggs
150 g cheese (I used 80 g cheese, the rest cottage cheese - if you don’t have it, use only cheese or combine with another cheese)
1 tablespoon milk (for the yolk mixture)
1 tablespoon semolina
200 g pasta (I used small shell pasta, but other short shapes work too)
Salt
Pepper
Instructions
1. Boil the spinach. Wash the leaves well (or use frozen directly) and put them in boiling water. Once cooked, drain and puree with a blender or hand mixer. It doesn’t need to be perfectly smooth if you don’t want it to be, but mine turned out completely pureed.
2. Place a small pot over medium heat. Crush the 2 cloves of garlic and sauté them with the flour, stirring continuously to prevent sticking. Add the spinach puree and half a cup of milk. Mix well until the milk is incorporated, then remove from heat. Finally, add salt to taste.
3. Cook the pasta in salted water according to the package instructions. Drain well after boiling.
4. While the pasta is boiling, separate the eggs. Place the yolks in a bowl and beat with a tablespoon of milk. Add the grated cheese (or the mixture of cheese and cottage cheese). Add a bit of pepper.
5. In another bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff. Once they have stiffened, add a tablespoon of semolina and mix gently.
6. In a large bowl or directly in the pot with spinach (if there’s room), combine the drained pasta, the spinach and milk mixture, and the yolk and cheese mixture. Finally, fold in the beaten egg whites with semolina, mixing slowly to keep the mixture fluffy.
7. Taste and adjust the salt if needed. Pour the mixture into a baking dish lined with parchment paper.
8. If you like cheese, you can sprinkle grated cheese on top before baking.
9. Place the dish in the oven at a low heat (about 160-170°C) for 50 minutes. Remove when the bake is set and lightly golden on top.
Why I make the recipe often
It’s a great solution for leftover spinach or when you want something filling without too much hassle. You can play around with whatever cheeses you have in the fridge. It’s hearty and works well both warm and the next day, for lunch. You don’t have to throw anything away, and it’s not fussy in presentation.
Tips and Variations
Tips
- If the spinach is too watery, let it cook a bit longer to evaporate the excess before adding it to the pasta.
- Don’t mix aggressively after adding the egg whites so you don’t lose volume.
- The grated cheese on top will brown nicely, but don’t put it in too early if you have a strong grill in your oven, to avoid burning.
Substitutions
- You can use any melting cheese – cheese, mozzarella, or a sweeter feta.
- If you don’t have semolina, you can use a tablespoon of fine breadcrumbs, but the texture will be slightly different.
- Milk can be replaced with liquid cream for a richer taste.
Variations
- You can add fresh herbs (parsley, dill) to the spinach mixture to taste.
- You can combine two types of pasta if you have leftovers.
- You can use frozen spinach that’s already cooked – just drain it well before using.
- For a version without pasta, just put the mixture in the dish – it will come out denser, like a thick soufflé.
Serving Ideas
- It can be served warm with a simple tomato salad.
- It also works cold, sliced, for lunch or a picnic.
- You can cut it into cubes and serve at a buffet as a savory snack.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What pasta is best for spinach bake?
Short pasta like shells, penne, or fusilli are recommended. Very thin or long pasta doesn’t bind as well in the mixture.
2. Can I use frozen chopped spinach?
Yes, just make sure to drain it very well after boiling or thawing. If it’s very watery, let it cook down a bit before mixing with the other ingredients.
3. Can it be made without eggs?
Eggs help bind the bake. Without eggs, the mixture will be much softer and won’t hold together as well in the oven.
4. Can I add more cheeses?
Yes, you can combine cheese with cottage cheese, feta, or mozzarella, according to your preference. Each cheese changes the taste and texture a bit, but the result will be delicious.
5. How can I avoid the bake being too wet?
Make sure the spinach isn’t too watery. If you see that after boiling and pureeing it still has liquid, put it back on the heat for a few minutes to evaporate the excess.
Nutritional Values (estimates)
One serving of this bake (based on 6 servings) has approximately:
Calories: 250-300 kcal
Protein: 12-14 g
Fat: 10-12 g
Carbohydrates: 28-32 g
Values are indicative and depend on the type of cheese and pasta used. The bake has quite a bit of protein, being filling from the eggs and cheeses, plus fiber from spinach and pasta.
Storage and Reheating
The spinach and pasta bake can be kept in the fridge in a closed container for up to 3 days. It can be reheated in the oven or microwave. If you want the top to remain crispy, it’s best to reheat it in the oven. Freezing is not recommended, as the texture may become too wet after thawing.
I ended up making this bake after I tried to cook a spinach dish that didn’t turn out as I wanted. The spinach became too soft, I accidentally made it into puree, and the texture wasn’t to everyone’s liking. Not wanting to throw anything away, I tried to turn everything into a kind of pasta bake. The result was surprisingly good and, honestly, it has become one of the recipes I make regularly when I have leftover cooked spinach or when I want something hearty with lots of cheese.
Quick Info
Total time: About 1 hour and 20 minutes
Preparation time: 20-30 minutes
Baking time: 50 minutes
Servings: 4-6, depending on portion size
Difficulty: Medium, especially due to the multiple steps
Recipe type: Savory pasta bake, suitable for lunch or dinner
Ingredients
500 g fresh or frozen spinach
1/2 cup milk
2 cloves of garlic
A slightly less than a tablespoon of flour
3 eggs
150 g cheese (I used 80 g cheese, the rest cottage cheese - if you don’t have it, use only cheese or combine with another cheese)
1 tablespoon milk (for the yolk mixture)
1 tablespoon semolina
200 g pasta (I used small shell pasta, but other short shapes work too)
Salt
Pepper
Instructions
1. Boil the spinach. Wash the leaves well (or use frozen directly) and put them in boiling water. Once cooked, drain and puree with a blender or hand mixer. It doesn’t need to be perfectly smooth if you don’t want it to be, but mine turned out completely pureed.
2. Place a small pot over medium heat. Crush the 2 cloves of garlic and sauté them with the flour, stirring continuously to prevent sticking. Add the spinach puree and half a cup of milk. Mix well until the milk is incorporated, then remove from heat. Finally, add salt to taste.
3. Cook the pasta in salted water according to the package instructions. Drain well after boiling.
4. While the pasta is boiling, separate the eggs. Place the yolks in a bowl and beat with a tablespoon of milk. Add the grated cheese (or the mixture of cheese and cottage cheese). Add a bit of pepper.
5. In another bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff. Once they have stiffened, add a tablespoon of semolina and mix gently.
6. In a large bowl or directly in the pot with spinach (if there’s room), combine the drained pasta, the spinach and milk mixture, and the yolk and cheese mixture. Finally, fold in the beaten egg whites with semolina, mixing slowly to keep the mixture fluffy.
7. Taste and adjust the salt if needed. Pour the mixture into a baking dish lined with parchment paper.
8. If you like cheese, you can sprinkle grated cheese on top before baking.
9. Place the dish in the oven at a low heat (about 160-170°C) for 50 minutes. Remove when the bake is set and lightly golden on top.
Why I make the recipe often
It’s a great solution for leftover spinach or when you want something filling without too much hassle. You can play around with whatever cheeses you have in the fridge. It’s hearty and works well both warm and the next day, for lunch. You don’t have to throw anything away, and it’s not fussy in presentation.
Tips and Variations
Tips
- If the spinach is too watery, let it cook a bit longer to evaporate the excess before adding it to the pasta.
- Don’t mix aggressively after adding the egg whites so you don’t lose volume.
- The grated cheese on top will brown nicely, but don’t put it in too early if you have a strong grill in your oven, to avoid burning.
Substitutions
- You can use any melting cheese – cheese, mozzarella, or a sweeter feta.
- If you don’t have semolina, you can use a tablespoon of fine breadcrumbs, but the texture will be slightly different.
- Milk can be replaced with liquid cream for a richer taste.
Variations
- You can add fresh herbs (parsley, dill) to the spinach mixture to taste.
- You can combine two types of pasta if you have leftovers.
- You can use frozen spinach that’s already cooked – just drain it well before using.
- For a version without pasta, just put the mixture in the dish – it will come out denser, like a thick soufflé.
Serving Ideas
- It can be served warm with a simple tomato salad.
- It also works cold, sliced, for lunch or a picnic.
- You can cut it into cubes and serve at a buffet as a savory snack.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What pasta is best for spinach bake?
Short pasta like shells, penne, or fusilli are recommended. Very thin or long pasta doesn’t bind as well in the mixture.
2. Can I use frozen chopped spinach?
Yes, just make sure to drain it very well after boiling or thawing. If it’s very watery, let it cook down a bit before mixing with the other ingredients.
3. Can it be made without eggs?
Eggs help bind the bake. Without eggs, the mixture will be much softer and won’t hold together as well in the oven.
4. Can I add more cheeses?
Yes, you can combine cheese with cottage cheese, feta, or mozzarella, according to your preference. Each cheese changes the taste and texture a bit, but the result will be delicious.
5. How can I avoid the bake being too wet?
Make sure the spinach isn’t too watery. If you see that after boiling and pureeing it still has liquid, put it back on the heat for a few minutes to evaporate the excess.
Nutritional Values (estimates)
One serving of this bake (based on 6 servings) has approximately:
Calories: 250-300 kcal
Protein: 12-14 g
Fat: 10-12 g
Carbohydrates: 28-32 g
Values are indicative and depend on the type of cheese and pasta used. The bake has quite a bit of protein, being filling from the eggs and cheeses, plus fiber from spinach and pasta.
Storage and Reheating
The spinach and pasta bake can be kept in the fridge in a closed container for up to 3 days. It can be reheated in the oven or microwave. If you want the top to remain crispy, it’s best to reheat it in the oven. Freezing is not recommended, as the texture may become too wet after thawing.