Pumpkin, Ricotta and Spinach Pasta Bake
Make on FrescoA very easy dinner for a busy school night. Vegetarian, but feel free to add bacon or chorizo. Don’t make your own ricotta unless you have time. Easy.
Hello delicious! This quickie is so simple and although it takes a bit of time in the oven, is really really quick for a weeknight meal that fills up the hollow legs now that school is back. If you were keen to skip the gluten, you can certainly sub in a gluten free pasta option, or how about just using cauliflower florets or diced potato??
You can of course make your own ricotta if you are a die hard Tenina fan! (Ha ha) But if you are time poor, (yes I know, we all are!) then by all means, go and buy it.
You’re going to add this one into the family menu planner, I’m pretty sure.
Come join our FREE TRIAL on the Insider Club for more great recipes
The Lazy Sourdough Bakery course now baking.
The Whole Scoop Ice Cream course is churning now!
Need
-
The Pasta
- 1/2 butternut pumpkin peeled and diced
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) as needed BUY
- 250 Grams short pasta, (shells, macaroni, penne)
- 2-3 Handfuls baby spinach leaves
- 4-6 cloves garlic
- 500 Grams Fresh Ricotta Cheese Recipe
- 1 Teaspoon pink salt flakes or more to taste BUY
- 150 Grams parmesan cheese cubed
- 150 Grams mozzarella cheese, cubed
-
Pesto
- 50 Grams parmesan cheese cubed
- 3 cloves garlic
- Handfuls basil leaves
- 70 Grams pine nuts, toasted
- 1 fresh lemon juice
- Pinches pink salt flakes BUY
- 100 Grams Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) BUY
Do
- 1
Preheat oven to 200°C and line a baking sheet with paper.
- 2
Place prepared pumpkin onto the baking sheet and drizzle with oil, and sprinkle with salt. Roast 25 minutes.
- 3
Reduce temperature in oven to 180°C and remove pumpkin from oven to cool slightly.
- 4
Cook pasta according to instructions on packet. Drain and set aside in large bowl.
- 5
Butter several individual baking dishes or one large dish.
- 6
Place Parmesan and mozzarella into Thermomix bowl and mill 10 sec/speed 10. Remove cheese from bowl and set aside.
- 7
To make pesto place garlic and additional Parmesan into Thermomix bowl and mill 10 sec/speed 10.
- 8
Add basil, pine nuts, lemon juice and salt and blend 6 sec/speed 6. Add EVOO through hole in lid and just combine, 3 sec/speed 6.
- 9
Assemble by stirring all ingredients together, reserving just a little of the grated cheeses to finish off.
- 10
Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake between 10-20 minutes (depending on size of dishes used) until golden and fragrant. Serve with a leafy green salad and garlic bread.
1000's of recipes that work Join us today and start cooking!
Tenina Holder is a wife, mother of five and grandmother of eight, who started cooking in the olden days before Thermomix was even a thing.
Tenina has become the premium go to source for all Thermomix expertise and of course fresh and easy recipes that work. Her cooking classes and foodie trips are sold out in literally hours, her cookbooks appear on the Australian best seller lists and her social reach is in the millions. Her Insider Club is the most fun you can have with a Thermomix and you really should join her! She believes chocolate, butter and salt are health foods. Her food positivity mantra is, eat everything, just not all at once!