Baked Penne with Spinach, Ricotta & Fontina
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
This easy vegetarian pasta bake gives you all the flavor of classic spinach and cheese cannelloni without the fuss.
This vegetarian pasta bake is a quick and easy riff on classic spinach and ricotta cannelloni. Instead of stuffing traditional pasta shells, I toss penne pasta in a creamy sauce made with spinach, basil, and ricotta. After topping the dish with two flavorful cheeses, I bake it until golden and bubbly. To ensure a smooth and creamy texture, I add mascarpone (or cream cheese) to the sauce, which eliminates any potential graininess that can sometimes occur with ricotta-based sauces. While the pasta bakes, I usually toss a big Italian salad to complete the meal.
you’ll need to make Baked penne with spinach, ricotta & fontina
how to make Baked penne with spinach, ricotta & fontina
To begin, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the penne. Cook until al dente, about 9 minutes. The pasta will continue to cook in the oven, so you want it a bit underdone.
Drain the pasta, then place it back in the pan and set aside.
Meanwhile, drain the spinach and squeeze as dry as possible. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade, combine the dry spinach, basil, ricotta, mascarpone (or cream cheese), half-and-half cream, 1 cup fontina, 3 tablespoons Parmigiano Reggiano, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
Process until puréed.
Add the spinach mixture to the pasta.
Stir to combine.
Transfer to a baking dish.
Top with the remaining fontina and Pecorino Romano cheese.
Bake until the pasta is bubbling and the top is golden in spots, about 20 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes, then serve.
You may also like
- Mac and Cheese
- Julia Turshen’s “A Nice Lasagna”
- Baked Ziti with Sausage
- Cheesy Stuffed Shells
- Gail Simmons’ Epic Spaghetti Pie
- Spinach Manicotti
Baked Penne with Spinach, Ricotta & Fontina
This easy vegetarian pasta bake gives you all the flavor of classic spinach and cheese cannelloni without the fuss.
Ingredients
- 1 pound penne
- 1 (10-oz) package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- ½ cup packed basil leaves, roughly chopped
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- 4 oz (½ cup) mascarpone cheese (or cream cheese)
- 2 cups half-and-half
- 6 oz (2 cups) grated fontina or whole milk mozzarella, divided
- 5 tablespoons finely grated Pecorino Romano (or Parmigiano Reggiano), divided
- 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Lightly oil a 9 x 13-inch ceramic baking dish.
- Cook the penne in boiling salted water until al dente, about 9 minutes. (It will cook more in the oven so you don’t want it completely cooked.) Drain and rinse under cold water, then place the pasta back in the pan and set aside.
- In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade, combine the spinach, basil, ricotta, mascarpone (or cream cheese), half-and-half, 1 cup of the fontina (or mozzarella), 3 tablespoons of the Pecorino Romano (or Parmigiano Reggiano), garlic, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Process until puréed.
- Add the spinach mixture to the pasta and stir to combine. Transfer to the prepared baking dish. Top with the remaining fontina and Parmigiano Reggiano. Bake until the pasta is bubbling and the top is golden in spots, about 20 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes, then serve.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
Powered by 
- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 692
- Fat: 34 g
- Saturated fat: 20 g
- Carbohydrates: 65 g
- Sugar: 7 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 31 g
- Sodium: 956 mg
- Cholesterol: 112 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Hands down THIS was the hit of my Christmas dinner….NOT the prime rib, chicken, mashed potatoes, homemade yeast rolls, roasted veggies, etc!!!!!! So easy to make…I did use one cup of 2% milk and one cup 1/2 & 1/2 which turned out fine!!I can’t wait to make this again!! Yum! Yum!
Why does the temp have to be 450? No, I won’t be using pyrex!! LOL! Any chance I can use 350 convection? I’ll have 2 ovens going and may be able to put it in a 450 oven for a few minutes….Thanks.
Hi Wendy, you could bake this at 350. It will just take a little longer; I suspect it would take about 30 minutes.
Made this recently and the hubby and even 2 year old loved it. Nice way to sneak in spinach 😉
Not only did this look spectacular, it tasted great. Followed the recipe as is but enjoy reading about the creativity of your followers. I on the other hand, always follow your recipes as written and now my family and friends think I’m a great cook! Love, love, love this website, the great pictures and your wonderful recipes.
We’re empty nesters now. Can I make this, divide in two, and freeze half?
Hi Mary, with all the dairy this contains, I’m not sure how well the dish will freeze. Another alternative is halving the recipe.
I really enjoyed this dish and my son who is a picky eater enjoyed it. It kind of tastes like a pesto but thicker.
Can this be served at room temperature?
I think it’s best serve hot, Sarah. Sorry!
This was fabulous, even with my forgetting to put in fresh basil from my garden, and having to eliminate garlic for an allergic guest. Made the night before and simply added more half and half after warming.
I’ve tried many of your recipes…all 5 stars for me…for this recipe if you wanted to cut down on the fat I know I could use low fat ricotta, low fat cream cheese…would the recipe turn out the same if I used 2% milk instead of the 2 cups of half & half……
Hi Wendy, I would be a bit concerned that the milk wouldn’t reduce enough and the dish would be watery, but another reader commented that they used milk with good results. You could try using half milk and half 1/2 & 1/2.
Made this on Monday! Simply Delicious!