GardeningCook Baked Penne Pasta with Spinach and Feta

[GardeningCook]

I found, adapted, & tried this new recipe last night, & it's definitely a keeper. While local spinach is petering out here due to the heat (a couple of our local farmers market vendors still had a little, but all said there most likely won't be more until the late Fall), this recipe worked perfectly with two 8 oz. bags of baby spinach from the supermarket (sacrilege I know, but one does what one has to do sometimes - lol!). Anyway - great easy vegetarian pasta recipe. Was rich & delicious with just a warm baguette & green salad on the side.

GardeningCook Baked Penne Pasta with Spinach and Feta
(Adapted from a recipe from “Chowhound”)
Ingredients
• One box (12-16 ounces) Penne pasta
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound baby spinach (If using more mature spinach, trim &/or remove tough stems/ribs.)
• 12 ounces crumbled feta
• Approx. 6-8 oz. ounces full-fat sour cream
• Approx. 6 ounces full-fat Greek yogurt
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Approx. one cup shredded Parmesan, Romano, or Italian Mix cheese
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F, & butter a 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish.
2. Cook the Penne pasta to slightly less than al dente according to package directions. You want it just a touch firmer than you’d normally serve it at, since it will continue cooking during baking. Drain.
3. In a large frying or saute pan over medium heat, warm a dollop or two of olive oil. Add the spinach and cook down, stirring/folding gently, until wilted.
4. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the feta, sour cream, and yogurt. Add the cooked spinach and stir to combine, then stir in the pasta. Season with black pepper to taste and pour into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the top evenly with the Parmesan cheese.
5. Bake until heated through and just slightly browned on top about 30 minutes or so. Allow to sit for about 5 minutes or so before serving. (Leftovers reheat beautifully in the microwave.)

[rainbowgardener]

Sounds yummy! Most spinach recipes work just fine with swiss chard. I make swiss chard lasagna using a spinach lasagna recipe and I actually like it better with the chard.

[GardeningCook]

I like Chard in many spinach applications as well, but for some reason don't care much for it in pasta dishes.