Spinach and Pasta Bake

Note: Be sure to make this in a bigger baking dish than shown in the picture. I actually made two smaller dishes with this recipe and froze the second. Also, the hamburger/Italian sausage is optional. You could make this dish without the meat, or even substitute with prosciutto. We just had this tonight for dinner and it was so yummy!

















Bechamel Sauce:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Pinch ground nutmeg



Pasta:
16 oz pasta cooked al dente
1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
1 lb cooked Italian sausage or hamburger
1 large egg, beaten to blend
3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for salting water
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups marinara sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella (about 4 ounces)

To make the sauce: Melt the butter in a heavy medium sucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk for 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk. Increase the heat to medium-high. whisk the sauce until it comes to a simmer and is thick and smooth, about 3 minutes. Whisk the salt, pepper and nutmeg into teh bechamel sauce.

Put bechamel sauce in bottom of a large buttered baking dish.

Whisk the ricotta, spinach, 1 C Parmesan, hamburger/sausage, egg, salt and pepper in a medium bowl to blend.

Layer noodles, ricotta mix, marinara sauce and mozzarella several times in baking dish, with top layer being the remaining parmesan cheese.

Bake covered for 25 minutes at 450, until sauce bubbles. Uncover and bake until cheese starts to brown.