Baked pasta with sundried tomatoes and spinach

This recipe is from a recent issue of Real Simple magazine – they were promoting recipes that you could make in advance and freeze so that you could swap dinners with other people.  I’m obviously not part of a recipe swap – but I made a smaller portion of this recipe and froze half of the recipe for later.  Although – I do prefer to make dinner fresh each night – there are times where an already prepared straight from the freezer meal is needed.  So if you are looking for something like that – this recipe was just as good when we ate it out of the freezer.   

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/3 cup oil packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• 1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
• 1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 lb. dried penne pasta
• 7 oz. baby spinach
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.

2. Cook the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes in saucepan, stirring for 2 minutes.

3. Stir in crushed and diced tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes.

4. Add vinegar to the saucepan; season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 15-20 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil; add 1 tablespoon salt.

6. Cook the pasta for half the recommended time on the package directions (the pasta will continue to cook when it is baked). Drain the pasta; return it to the pot.

7. Place the spinach in the saucepan of sauce and cook, stirring, until the spinach begins to wilt, about 1 minute. Pour a saucepan of tomato sauce the pasta pot and toss to combine.

8. Place the pasta in a 13 x 9 inch pan (or 2 smaller pans). Sprinkle with 2 cups of the mozzarella and 1/3 cup of the Parmesan.

9. To eat tonight: Bake the pasta on a rimmed baking sheet at 400° F until bubbling and beginning to brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
To freeze and cook later: Freeze the unbaked pasta, tightly sealed, for up to 3 months. To cook, thaw the pasta and bake, uncovered, on a rimmed baking sheet at 400° F until heated through, bubbling, and beginning to brown, 25 to 30 minutes.

Source: adapted from Real Simple

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