Easy Spinach Pasta Bake | Slimming Eats Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Should pasta be cooked before baking? ›

But what it does mean for a home cook is this: Any time you are planning on baking pasta in a casserole, there is no need to precook it. All you have to do is soak it while you make your sauce, then combine the two and bake.

Veggie pastas aren't necessarily worthwhile

“It has great eye appeal.” Though some companies claim their veggie pastas contain a full serving of vegetables, Ayoob says it's no substitute for a real vegetable dish, since spinach pasta might not have all the nutrients you would otherwise expect from spinach.

Most pasta bake recipes require you to pre-boil your pasta until it's not quite cooked through and then finish it in the oven.

Just soak the pasta in warm salted water before adding it to the other ingredients and sliding the mixture into the oven. Presoaking is a way to begin hydrating the pasta and washing away some of its starch, even as the salt in the water pre-seasons the pasta.

What's bad about spinach? If you eat spinach every day in excessive amounts (more than a bowl) there can be adverse health effects. Most commonly these include gas, bloating and cramps due to its high fiber content. Eating too much spinach can also interfere with the body's ability to absorb nutrients.

Diabetics can eat any kind of pasta; however, it is important for people with diabetes to consider the amount and type of carbohydrates found in their pasta to maintain control of their blood sugar.

Wholegrain pasta is lower in calories and contributes more vitamins and minerals than the white, refined equivalent, making it a healthier choice.

Meet the no-boil pasta bake. Yes, this pasta casserole doesn't even require cooked pasta — just dried. It will take you five minutes to prep for the oven — no, I'm not exaggerating. Pour some dry pasta into a casserole dish, open a can of tomatoes, dump in some cheese and garlic, and bang the whole thing into the oven.

Cover the dish lightly with tin foil and bake it for 35 minutes. Make sure that the foil is not touching the cheese. Bake uncovered for another 10 to 15 minutes. The center should be bubbly and heated through.

What to put on pasta when you have no sauce? ›

Cheese is an excellent way to add flavor to your pasta without having to rely on sauce. Try mixing your angel hair pasta with goat cheese, and toss in sun-dried tomatoes to make an amazing meal with just a few ingredients. Garlic butter is a terrific way to season all types of noodles.

Wait until the water comes to a rapid, aggressive boil before adding your pasta. Throwing in the pasta too early when the water isn't hot enough can result in some sticky, gummy noodles. Patience, friend. Stir right away — and every couple minutes.

Fresh veggies: Zucchini, yellow squash, carrots, bell peppers, red onion, and grape tomatoes. Flavor-makers: Garlic, dried oregano, fresh thyme, salt, and pepper, and fresh lemon zest. Pasta: A short pasta is best for making sure everything is bite-sized.

Avoid mushy pasta by undercooking the pasta in the boiling phase. Simply take away 2-3 minutes from the recommended cooking time on the packet. The pasta will continue to cook in the oven, so it will be perfectly tender when it's time to serve.

Use par-cooked pasta or no-boil recipes

Then there are recipes that don't treat the pasta beforehand at all, placing it uncooked in the pan to cook along with the other ingredients. As LiveStrong notes, this method requires a casserole with a good deal of liquid so that the noodles won't end up dry.

By skipping the separate boiling of the pasta and instead adding the dried noodles straight to the sauce, you can make a weeknight-friendly meal in just one pot. Bonus: It makes the pasta more flavorful, too.