If you’re not racing against a bunch of teenage boys, you’ll love the combination of garlicky spinach, tender rigatoni, tangy sauce, and gooey mozzarella.
If you want more sauce: As you can see by the picture, I didn't drench the pasta with sauce (as it the case with baked ziti, for example). If you like a super saucy dish, serve extra warm marinara sauce on the side. You can also serve the dish with grated parmesan cheese, as I've done below. In my house, there's a good chance chaos would erupt if I didn't serve pasta with parmesan.
Prep ahead friendly: Don't you love dishes you can assemble in advance? I do too - and this dish is no exception. You can prepare the dish as directed below, cover with foil and refrigerate for 24 hours before baking. Pull the dish from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking.
Baked Rigatoni with Garlic Spinach
Cooking spray
1 pound rigatoni pasta (or any tube-shaped pasta)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic granules or garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
5 ounces baby spinach leaves
1 cup marinara sauce, plus more for serving if desired
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a baking dish with cooking spray.
Cook the rigatoni according to the package directions. Drain and return the pasta to the pot. While still warm, add the olive oil, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper and stir to coat. Stir in the spinach leaves until the spinach leaves wilt (they don't have to be completely wilted; just make sure they're shiny!). Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and top with the sauce and cheese.
Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10 to 15 more minutes, until the cheese melts.
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