022 / 75 · Noodles, Grains and Pantry Bakes
Lentil and Spinach Pasta Bake
One 9×13 in (23×33 cm) baking dish, at least 3.5 qt/3.3 L; 6 meatless main-dish portions · Active 30 min · Total 1 hr 20 min
Print recipe · PDFA thick lentil-and-tomato sauce gives penne something substantial to carry, while cooked, squeezed spinach threads through the pan. Mozzarella is used as a modest top rather than a heavy hidden layer. The result is a meatless pasta bake with recognizable lentils and enough sauce to stay moist after its short oven finish.
Spinach starts in its own small pan
Frozen chopped spinach needs the cooking instruction on its packet, not merely thawing on the counter. Cook it first, cool promptly until safe to handle and squeeze out excess water. The prepared bundle will be much smaller than the frozen block. Chop through it once more if long fibers remain. This keeps the spinach in small threads rather than one tangled clump in the middle of a serving. Excess water squeezed away now cannot dilute the tomato sauce later. Keep the cooked spinach refrigerated if the other stages are delayed.
Make a sauce the pasta can finish in
The lentils begin canned, drained and rinsed. Brown or green lentils keep their shape better than red split lentils in this method. Simmer them with crushed tomatoes, passata and a small amount of water until the sauce coats a spoon. Do not reduce it to a dry paste: the penne is stopped two minutes short and will take up more moisture in the oven. Fold the pasta, spinach and sauce together while warm, then spread in the stated wide pan. A deep small casserole would leave a thicker center beneath overcooked edges. Scatter the mozzarella evenly so each portion gets a little, and check the filling with a thermometer before relying on the attractive browned surface. This is a useful dish to divide for later lunches, provided those portions are promptly chilled and carried cold rather than left on a desk.
Ingredients
- 9 oz dry penne pasta (250 g)
- 12 cups water (2.8 L), for pasta
- 10 1/2 oz frozen chopped spinach (300 g)
- 1/4 cup water (60 ml), for spinach, or packet requirement
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (15 ml)
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped (150 g)
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped (6 g)
- 1 can crushed tomatoes with juice (14 oz/400 g)
- 1 cup tomato passata (250 ml)
- 1/2 cup water (120 ml), for sauce
- 2 cans brown or green lentils, drained and rinsed (1 lb 1 oz/480 g drained total)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt (1.5 g)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 5 oz low-moisture mozzarella, grated (140 g)
Set out
Oven, 9×13 in (23×33 cm) baking dish, at least 3.5 qt/3.3 L, Large pasta saucepan, at least 5 qt/4.7 L, Small covered saucepan for spinach, Large deep skillet, Sieve, Clean towel, Rimmed baking sheet, Food thermometer, Suitable foil if the topping colors before the center finishes
Allergens
Wheat, Milk; check pasta labels for egg. Check labels and substitutions.
Make it
- Heat oven to 400°F (205°C). Put the dish on a rimmed sheet and bring pasta water to a boil. Cook frozen spinach with its water according to the packet, usually 5–7 minutes, until thoroughly cooked. Cool promptly until safe to handle, squeeze dry in a clean towel and chop any long fibers.
- Meanwhile heat oil in the skillet over medium heat. Cook onion 7–9 minutes until soft, then garlic for 30 seconds. Add crushed tomatoes, passata, sauce water, lentils, oregano, salt and pepper. Simmer 10–12 minutes until thick but still moist.
- Boil penne for 2 minutes less than its packet time, drain without rinsing and fold into the sauce with cooked squeezed spinach. Spread the hot mixture in the dish and scatter mozzarella.
- Bake 20–25 minutes until the top is lightly golden and the center and several other points reach 165°F (74°C). Shield the surface loosely with foil if needed while the center finishes.
- Rest 5 minutes and divide into six portions.
Keep the green threads separate
Loosen the squeezed chopped spinach with a fork before folding it in. A few deliberate folds distribute it more effectively than stirring the entire pan hard enough to break the lentils.
A useful detail
The 80-minute total allows the spinach cooking/cooling alongside the sauce, overlapping pasta boiling, the full oven finish and rest. Canned lentils are the specified starting ingredient; dry lentils cannot go straight into this sauce.
Another way
- Use 250 g dry rigatoni instead of penne, still boiling 2 minutes short of its packet time. Fold gently so the larger tubes do not split and retain the same sauce quantity.
Keep it well
Refrigerate shallow portions within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F (32°C), at 40°F (4°C) or below. Use within 3 days or an earlier opened-ingredient deadline. Reheat to 165°F (74°C), adding a little water if needed. Freeze promptly cooled portions for up to 1 month for quality; thaw in the refrigerator. Carry chilled portions with two cold sources or place directly in a refrigerator.