My sister-in-law sent me this simple recipe for granola snacks one snow day while the kids were at home. She warned me the children would consume the batch in a day, and she was absolutely correct! To avoid preparing it every day, I usually double the recipe.
| Prep Time: | 15 mins |
| Cook Time: | 1 hr |
| Total Time: | 1 hr 15 mins |
| Servings: | 12 |
| Yield: | 12 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 (12 ounce) package medium seashell pasta
- 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ½ cup bread crumbs
- 1 ½ (26 ounce) jars tomato basil pasta sauce
- 1 (8 ounce) package shredded Cheddar cheese
- 1 (8 ounce) package shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain. Bring 1/2 cup water to a boil in a saucepan, and cook the spinach 4 to 6 minutes, until tender.
- Place the cooked pasta in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and oil. Toss the pasta with the cooked spinach, egg mixture, and bread crumbs.
- Cover the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish with 1/3 of the pasta sauce. Pour half of the pasta mixture into the baking dish, and cover with another 1/3 of the pasta sauce. Sprinkle with half of the Cheddar cheese and half of the mozzarella. Layer with remaining pasta mixture, and top with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with the rest of the Cheddar and mozzarella cheeses.
- Bake 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until bubbly and lightly browned.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 379 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 38 g |
| Cholesterol | 64 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 4 g |
| Protein | 17 g |
| Saturated Fat | 8 g |
| Sodium | 668 mg |
| Sugars | 10 g |
| Fat | 18 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
I followed the recipe as written, and it was super cheesy and delicious. Next time, I will use a larger jar of sauce, as I had a hard time distributing the sauce between the layers. It wasn’t as saucy as I thought it would be, but still delicious.
I added mushroom, garlic, onions, and bell peppers. I also baked covered for 30 minutes, and uncovered for the last 15 minutes.
Great recipe! My modifications/brand selections: 1) Pasta = Ronzini Gluten-Free Penne and Rotini. 2) Pasta Sauce = Classico Traditional Sweet Basil 2) Added Morning Star Veggie Grillers Crumbles (like ground beef). Sautéed in Garlic, Ground Pepper, and Salt first. Then added to the pasta/spinach/bread crumb mixture. 3) Sprinkled some bread crumbs on top of the entire casserole. 4) Baked uncovered in 45 minutes.
Thank you for the inspiration! I think the cheddar flavor is what makes this special because many times, these casseroles only use the mozzarella. I did make my tweeks as everyone should if they want and it still turned out great! I used a homemade marinara sauce. I also used Dayia cheese substitute in both cheddar and mozzarella. I opted out of the eggs and changed the bread crumbs to a tenderized bag of Italian Crotons. Instead of sea shell pasta, I used a rigatoni. I also just sautéed frozen spinach while I did my onions and garlic which was the base for my homemade sauce prior to spices, crushed tomatoes, etc. It turned out fabulous! Will make again =) Thanks again!
I had a bag of fresh spinach, some fresh mushrooms and a couple of bags of shredded Mozzarella and sharp Cheddar cheese sitting in my fridge, a box of shells with 3 oz. left, and a box of tri color rotini with about 5 oz. left. This recipe was very simple to make, and didn’t take long to put together. I took other’s advice and added garlic, oregano, a bit of black pepper and basil. It came out awesome! My husband loved it, and with no meat and basically no fat but the olive oil, seems pretty healthy. Very versatile recipe, add chicken or beef – or not- and flavor it the way you like. It’s a keeper!
I like to add mushrooms, minced garlic, and ground Italian sausage. Perfect to make ahead and freeze. Thaw in fridge overnight. Cover with tinfoil and bake at 350 @ 35 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes. Delicious!
My family loved this recipe – my husband even said it was the best pasta dish I’ve ever made. This recipe is a keeper!
I made a few changes, but I really don’t agree with people who said it was bland, WOW! The only changes I made were that I sauteed the spinach with 1 minced onion and 3 cloves minced garlic, and it turned out wonderfully! I would also actually suggest that you bake it for 30 minutes, then add the last layer of cheese only for the last 15 minutes to prevent burning.
Double the cheese and a few liberal shakes of pizza seasoning on each layer, and this is a winner! To save pots, I threw the spinach in with the pasta for the last few minutes. I also cut way back on the olive oil; I used 3 tablespoons and think it was plenty. Good dinner–thank you!!
This recipe tastes great! I added some garlic cloves and just used a four cheese blend in the recipe.
This recipe is delicious! I made it just the way it is, no substitutions or changes. It’s amazing! Definitely a keeper!
Big hit with the kiddos, and I loved how easy/quick it was, especially for the level of tastiness. Will become a staple.
This recipe tasted good but not great, in my opinion. I did a small change of using small shell and layering the middle layer of cheese with the chedding only and then the top layer with mozz cheese only.
Followed recipe closely. Used penne instead of shells. Sprinkled garlic powder over each sauce layer. Added pepperoni slices which I cut in quarters. Soooooo yummy! Came out of pan when cut like lasagna (not spooned out). Really great and easy to make. Good weeknight yummy dinner!!!!
As the recipe on its own I found it to be bland only kicked up by the sauce you use. But as a template for an amazing casserole it rocks. I used Gluten-free pasta and needed a little more sauce. Loaded mine up with veggies. Thanks for the ideas
I rhought this tasted like stove-top stuffing with canned soup–additions, including cheddar cheese in place of the American cheese, didn’t save the taste. Only the 1-year old ate it–the 3 and 6-year olds left it on their plates.
Adjusted the amounts for 6. Halved the amount of pasta but left the amount of spinach and sauce the same. Added sliced baby bellas, 1 T garlic, salt, crushed red pepper, white pepper, and Italian seasoning. Sauteed the shrooms in garlic OO. Added the last layer of cheeses during the last 15 minutes of baking. Served with a salad and Italian red wine.
Omitted the bread crumbs, used fresh spinach (sauteed in a bit of olive oil with sliced mushrooms), used Bertolli garlic and olive oil pasta sauce. Mixed it altogether as one reviewer said, I was too lazy to layer.
I’m new at cooking and this recipe is one of the easiest/tastiest I’ve made so far! I overcooked the cheese a little, but it still tasted delicious! I also used frozen whole spinach leaves cuz I couldn’t find chopped (organic). My teenage sister loved it! I dislike cooking, but if there were more easy recipes like this out there I’d probably enjoy making it…
My family enjoyed this meal! I think it could be even better if you season it to suit your tastes, for us that means as much garlic as possible. My husband was disappointed at the lack of meat, but this is definitely a keeper in my book!
Very nice indeed