Spanish Pasta Bake with Spinach and Cheese Recipe
This bake is a Spanish take on pasta: lots of spinach, tomatoes and plenty of cheese, all baked until golden. In many Spanish homes, dishes like this appear on Mondays to use up leftover pasta from the weekend. The flavors are a bit like lasagna, just without layering – everything is mixed together in one dish.
A simple, comforting Spanish-style pasta bake that cleverly uses up leftover pasta while packing in plenty of spinach and tomato flavor, all bound together with melted cheese.
Chef's tips
Undercook the pasta slightly so it doesn’t turn mushy in the oven. If your tomatoes are very acidic, balance the sauce with a pinch of sugar. Grate the cheese yourself if possible – it melts better than pre-grated cheese.
How to serve
Serve as a main course with a green salad or tomato salad on the side. It’s also great as part of a casual buffet, cut into squares and served warm or at room temperature.
Ingredients
- pasta short, e.g. fusilli, penne - 250 g
- spinach fresh or frozen leaf spinach, thawed and squeezed out - 250 g
- canned tomatoes chopped - 400 g
- onion medium - 1 piece
- garlic - 2 clove
- yellow cheese grated - 120 g
- olive oil - 3 tablespoon
- dried oregano - 1 teaspoon
- sweet paprika optional - 0.5 teaspoon
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 190°C (top and bottom heat). Lightly grease a baking dish with olive oil.
- Cook the pasta in plenty of salted water for 2 minutes less than the time given on the package. Drain and set aside.
- Peel the onion and finely dice it. Finely chop the garlic.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and fry for 4–5 minutes, until softened and slightly translucent.
- Add the garlic and fry for about 1 more minute, until fragrant.
- Add the canned tomatoes, oregano, sweet paprika, a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook the sauce over medium heat for 8–10 minutes, until slightly thickened.
- If using fresh spinach, wash and dry it, then add it to the sauce by the handful, stirring until the leaves wilt. If using frozen spinach, add it to the sauce and cook for a few minutes until thawed and combined with the tomatoes.
- Put the cooked pasta into a large bowl, pour in the spinach-tomato sauce and add half of the grated cheese. Mix thoroughly.
- Transfer everything to the baking dish, smooth the top and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
- Bake for 20–25 minutes, until the cheese is melted and lightly browned and the edges of the bake are gently bubbling.
- After removing from the oven, let the bake rest for 5 minutes so it firms up slightly and is easier to serve.
Storage
Zapiekankę przechowuj w lodówce, najlepiej w tym samym naczyniu, w którym była pieczona, przykrytą folią. Podgrzewaj w piekarniku pod przykryciem, dolewając 1–2 łyżki wody, żeby nie wyschła; można też zamrozić pojedyncze porcje.
