Dinner for 5

Spinach Ricotta Penne Bake

Name: Spinach Ricotta Penne Bake
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 5 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 lb penne; 1 package (10 oz) frozen spinach; 1/2 cup packed basil leaves; 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese; 4 oz mascarpone cheese; 2 cups half-and-half; 2 cups grated fontina or whole milk mozzarella; 5 tbsp finely grated pecorino romano; 2 cloves garlic; 1 tsp salt; 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper; 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

$9.88for 440 minServes 5

Penne combines with spinach, creamy cheeses, basil, and fontina before baking until hot and lightly browned.

Spinach Ricotta Penne Bake with its ingredients

What it costs

Pick your city to see which ingredients are on sale

Ingredient	Amount	Cost
	Pasta, 16 oz$0.10/oz typical	16 oz	$1.60Typical price
	Frozen vegetables, 10 oz$0.10/oz typical	10 oz	$1.00Typical price
	Fresh herbs (cilantro, 0.25$1.49 each typical	0.25	$0.37Typical price
	Milk, 8.5 oz$0.04/oz typical	8.5 oz	$0.34Typical price
	Mascarpone, 4 oz$0.45/oz typical	4 oz	$1.80Typical price
	Heavy cream, 17 oz$0.22/oz typical	17 oz	$3.65Typical price
	Mozzarella, 8 oz$0.30/oz typical	8 oz	$2.40Typical price
	Blue cheese, 1.25 oz$0.80/oz typical	1.25 oz	$1.00Typical price
	Garlic, 0.25$0.75 each typical	0.25	$0.15Typical price
Total for the servings shown		$12.34

Swaps

Swap mozzarella for cheddar and shredded cheeseabout the same price
Swap heavy cream for evaporatedabout $0.08/oz less at typical prices
Swap milk for almondabout $0.01/oz more at typical prices
Swap pasta for egg noodlesabout $0.04/oz more at typical prices

Pantry staples you likely have

Salt and pepperDried herbs, spices and seasoning blends

Not included in the cost.

40 minstart to table
Mediumdifficulty
5servings as written
$$typical cost tier

Italian Vegetarian High-protein Budget Family Lunches Dinners

Typical price

$2.47 per serving$9.88 for 4

City Store

Typical price: Salefork's estimate of an everyday US shelf price for each ingredient. Pick your city to price it from this week's ad.

Ingredients

1 lb penne
1 package (10 oz) frozen spinach
1/2 cup packed basil leaves
1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
4 oz mascarpone cheese
2 cups half-and-half
2 cups grated fontina or whole milk mozzarella
5 tbsp finely grated pecorino romano
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Steps

Heat the oven to 400 F and lightly oil a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
Boil the penne in salted water for 8 minutes, then drain it.
Thaw the spinach, squeeze out excess water, and chop it with the basil and garlic.
Stir the spinach mixture, ricotta, mascarpone, half-and-half, pecorino, nutmeg, salt, and pepper into the penne.
Spread the pasta in the baking dish, top with fontina, and bake for 18 to 20 minutes until bubbling.