Baked Rigatoni with Spinach, Ricotta, and Fontina

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Baked Rigatoni with Spinach, Ricotta, and Fontina

 

1 pound rigatoni

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 10 ounce package frozen spinach, thawed

2 cups ricotta cheese

5 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper

6 ounces fontina cheese, grated (about 1 1/2 cups)

 

Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Oil a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the rigatoni until almost done,

about 12 minutes. Drain. Put the pasta in the prepared baking dish and toss with

1 tablespoon of the oil.

Meanwhile, squeeze as much of the water as possible from the spinach. Put the

spinach in a food processor and puree with the ricotta, 3 tablespoons of the

Parmesan, the nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Stir in half the fontina.

Stir the spinach mixture into the pasta. Top with the remaining fontina and

Parmesan. Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over the top. Bake the pasta

until the top is golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.

Makes 4 servings.