Baked Pasta with Tomato Sauce and Goat Cheese Casserole

Baked-Pasta-Goat-Cheese-Spinach-Tomato-Vegetarian-Meatless-Casserole-Health-Prevention-RD-Spry
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  • Yield: 4 servings

This casserole packed with kale and collard greens is equally nutritious and delicious.

Ingredients

1/2pound whole wheat rotini
2tablespoons olive oil, divided
2-3cloves garlic, minced
28ounces canned diced tomatoes
1/8teaspoon sugar
1tablespoon balsamic vinegar
salt, to taste
1/4cup basil leaves, torn
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4ounces soft goat cheese
1/2cup (2 oz.) parmesan cheese, shredded
12ounces mixed greens, such as kale and collard greens, ribs removed and roughly chopped
1/3cup breadcrumbs

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
  2. Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the garlic. Cook 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Add the tomatoes, sugar, balsamic vinegar, salt and basil to the pan. Stir, turn up the heat, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until thick and fragrant. Add freshly black pepper. Stir in the goat cheese and parmesan cheese.
  3. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
  4. When the water for the pasta starts to boil, add the pasta and cook for 7-8 minutes. To the boiling pasta, add the mixed greens and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Add the tomato-goat cheese sauce to the bowl and combine thoroughly. Transfer to an 8×8-inch baking pan or a 2 qt baking dish.
  5. Toss the breadcrumbs with the remaining tablespoon olive oil. Sprinkle over the top of the pasta. Bake until casserole is bubbly and breadcrumbs are lightly brown, about 30 minutes. Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving.

Recipe courtesy of Nicole, a Registered Dietitian who believes in balance: love what you eat and be what you eat to live a long, healthy life. Her cooking style focuses on disease prevention in otherwise healthy people, emphasizing balance, moderation of all nutrients, and plentiful in what we know to be good. By day, Nicole is the Director of Nutrition Services at a Michigan hospital and by night, she is a home cook, wife, and healthy food blogger of Prevention RD.

Nutritional Info *per serving

  • Calories 500
  • Fat 19.3g
  • Cholesterol 28mg
  • Sodium 439mg
  • Carbohydrate 63.3
  • Fiber 11.3g
  • Protein 20g