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Grated
Parmesan and baby spinach intermingle with medium
shells and marinara sauce for a quick pasta
casserole that starts on the stove top.
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This
vegetarian Italian "casserole" is mostly a
stove-top preparation. Instead of making our own marinara,
we're using a good-quality jarred version. (But nothing's
stopping you from using your own!)
Cooking the
ingredients on the stove top, then popping a pan into the
oven just long enough to melt the cheese and warm all the
ingredients together, gives this entree the feel of a
long-cooking casserole, minus the long cooking.
MENU:
Tossed
salad with pepperoncini, black olives and cherry tomatoes
Pasta
casserole
Crusty
bread and butter
Cream puffs
from the bakery
TIPS:
If you want
meat, add chopped pepperoni to taste when you heat the
sauce and mushrooms. Or just use a meat-based pasta sauce.
This
casserole presents a good opportunity to try less familiar
Italian cheeses, such as an aged asiago. Or try one of the
pre-shredded blends in the supermarket dairy case.
BEVERAGE
SUGGESTION:
A hearty
Chianti or slightly mellower montepulciano d'Abruzzo would
pair well with this.
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PASTA
CASSEROLE
Preparation
time: 15 minutes
Cooking
time: 15 minutes
Yield: 8
servings
1 package
(16 ounces) medium pasta shells
1 jar (24
ounces) marinara sauce
1 package
(8 ounces) sliced mushrooms
¼ cup
Chianti or other dry red wine
1 bag (6
ounces) baby spinach or baby arugula
2
tablespoons chopped basil or to taste
2/3 cup
shredded Parmesan cheese
2
tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley, optional
1. Heat
oven to 400 degrees. Heat stockpot of water to a boil;
cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain; set
aside.
2.
Meanwhile, combine the marinara sauce, mushrooms and
Chianti in a large, deep skillet or saucepan over
medium-high heat; cook until thickened, about 10 minutes.
3. Pour the
pasta into a large baking dish add the sauce mixture,
stirring to combine. Distribute spinach over mixture;
sprinkle basil over spinach. Sprinkle cheese over greens.
Place pan in oven until cheese melts, about 5-7 minutes.
Sprinkle with parsley, if desired.
Nutrition
information per serving: 333 calories, 15 percent of
calories from fat, 6 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 8 mg
cholesterol, 56 g carbohydrates, 14 g protein, 469 mg
sodium, 5 g fiber