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Comforting and delicious, Pasta Florentine is packed with spinach and cheese and makes a great weeknight dinner!
Super easy to pull together, the whole family will enjoy this.
When the weather turns cold, and it rains we don’t really know what to do with ourselves. Other than bundle up on the couch with a warm bowl of something comforting. This pasta recipe is that warm bowl.
It’s meatless (Hi Vegetarians!) but has a lot of cheese, so, sorry Vegans, you’re out of luck.
What does “Florentine” mean?
The easiest way to remember what it means is that a Florentine-style recipe features spinach.
Other Florentine recipes on Kylee Cooks are Florentine Lasagna Roll Ups and Chicken Florentine.
Why this recipe works
- Delicious. This one pleases vegetarians AND meat-eaters.
- Easy. This will not require a culinary degree.
- Perfect for busy nights. Throw this weeknight meal together when you get home and be eating dinner FAST. We’re talking around 30 minutes, folks.
Kylee’s Notes & FAQs
You don’t HAVE to bake this pasta dish, I just like to melt the cheese on the top and have it be super scoopable vs pasta/sauce-like.
I add crushed red pepper to mine for an extra boost of flavor and a kick of heat. If you don’t love spice, leave it out. Test for seasoning and add more salt or pepper if needed.
Substitutions/Additions
I use baby spinach, but if you don’t have any – use some frozen spinach. Be sure to thaw and squeeze out as much of the moisture as you can.
If you don’t have ricotta, you could use some cream cheese in a pinch.
If you want to add protein, I recommend grilling some chicken breasts, or some salmon.
What do do with leftovers
Store in the refrigerator in a covered container for a few days. When reheating in the microwave you may wish to add a little milk to stop it from drying out.
Ingredients:
Full, printable recipe below – just scroll down to the recipe card!
How to make this recipe:
Full, printable recipe below – just scroll down to the recipe card!
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Cook the pasta
Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside. Lightly grease a baking dish (you can skip this if you plan to bake in the dutch oven instead).
Make the sauce
Heat butter or olive oil in a Dutch oven or very large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onion 5 minutes or until just brown.
Add garlic, and cook about 1 minute.
Reduce heat to medium-low and add spinach; cover and cook 5 minutes or until spinach is wilted, stirring occasionally.
Sprinkle spinach mixture with flour. Cook uncovered, stirring constantly, 1 minute.
Gradually add milk, stirring well. Cook 5 minutes, stirring often, until thickened and smooth.
Remove from the heat and stir in cooked pasta, mozzarella, ricotta, salt and pepper, and red pepper.
Place into prepared dish (or leave it in the dutch oven) and sprinkle evenly with parmesan cheese.
Bake
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the cheese melts.
Devour.
More delicious vegetarian dinners:
- Roasted Squash Risotto. Finished with basil and parmesan, this is a hearty side dish or a delicious vegetarian main course. Either way, it’s delicious!
- Vegetarian Chili (Slow Cooker). Perfect for cool weather, packed with peppers, onions, beans, tomatoes, and sweet potatoes – this is a great crockpot chili!
- Vegetable Barley Soup. A vegan/vegetarian bowl of deliciousness that appeals to the whole family! The barley makes it very filling, and the vegetables bring great color and rich flavor.
- Chickpea Spinach Curry. Great for cooler nights and perfect for the whole family. Both vegetarian AND vegan, this dish boasts the curry FLAVOR vs major heat, and is quick & easy to make!
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Pasta Florentine (Vegetarian)
Ingredients
- 1 lb penne pasta
- 4 Tbs butter
- 1 onion chopped finely
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 lb fresh baby spinach washed and drained
- 4 Tbs all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese shredded
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Prepare pasta according to directions. Drain and set aside. Lightly grease a baking dish.
- Heat butter in a Dutch oven (or other heavy based pan) over medium-high heat; saute onion 5 minutes or until just brown. Add garlic, and cook about 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium-low and add spinach; cover and cook 5 minutes or until spinach is wilted, stirring occasionally.
- Sprinkle spinach mixture with flour. Cook uncovered, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Gradually add milk, stirring well. Cook 5 minutes, stirring often, until thickened and smooth. Remove from heat; stir in cooked pasta, mozzarella, ricotta, sugar, salt and pepper, and red pepper. Place into prepared dish and sprinkle evenly with Parmesan.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the cheese melts
- Devour.
Tips & Notes:
nutrition facts
Nutritional Disclaimer
Recipes written and produced on Kylee Cooks are for informational purposes only. Kylee is not a certified nutritionist. Nutritional data provided on Kylee Cooks has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration.
Update: This recipe was originally published in February of 2013. It was republished with updated photos in October of 2020.
