Easy Baked Pasta

Recipe Taken From:
Shape Magazine, September 2010

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole-wheat penne pasta
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 cups baby spinach
• 3 cups diced tomatoes, divided
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• pinch of salt
• 3/4 cup shredded lowfat cheddar cheese, divided

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In large pot of boiling water, cook penne pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and stir until fragrant. Add spinach and 2 cups of tomato; cook for 4 minutes or until spinach is wilted.

In a medium bowl' combine remaining 1 cup of tomato, herbs and salt. Transfer the cooked tomato mixture to the bowl and stir well. Add drained pasta to tomato mixture and combine thoroughly. Stir in 1/2 cup of the cheese.

Spray bottom of baking dish with cooking spray. Pour pasta mixture into dish. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes, then remove from oven and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup of cheese. Bake until cheese melts, about 5 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Notes & Tips:

I served this with a greens salad. You could add cooked chicken to the pasta if you wanted some meat. This dish was surprisingly easy to make and was pretty darn tasty. If you make this one night you can save the left overs of 2 cans of tomatoes for tomorrow's dish!

Nutrition Facts:

Serves 4; (serving size 2 1/2 cups): 338 calories, 10g fat, 8g fiber