5-INGREDIENT WHITE ZITI RECIPE - (4/5)

5-Ingredient White Ziti Recipe - (4/5) image

Provided by diane7422

Number Of Ingredients 9

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3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 bulb garlic, peeled and chopped, about 5 to 6 cloves
Freshly grated nutmeg, optional
1 pound frozen chopped spinach, defrosted
1 1/2 pounds ziti rigate
1 1/2 pounds fresh ricotta cheese
1 (8-ounce) container freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded

Steps:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Wrap spinach in a clean kitchen towel and wring out the excess liquid. Heat about 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 3 turns of the pan, in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and swirl a minute; add spinach, separating it with your fingers as you put it in the pan. Toss spinach with garlic and oil, season with salt and pepper and cook to heat through. Salt boiling water liberally and cook ziti about 5 minutes. Reserve about 1 cup of the starchy cooking water and drain pasta. Combine ziti with spinach and garlic, ricotta, parm cheese, salt and pepper. Add some or all of the saved starchy cooking water to make the pasta the consistency you'd like. Remember: the pasta will soak up the sauce while baking. Transfer to large casserole dish. Top with mozzarella and bake until brown and bubbly, about 30 minutes.