Baked Creamed Spinach Pasta
This baked creamed spinach pasta is comfort in a bowl—creamy, cheesy and utterly delicious! This crowd-pleasing dish combines the velvety richness of creamed spinach with tender pasta, all baked to bubbly perfection. It’s an easy, satisfying meal that’s perfect for busy weeknights. Serve it with a crisp green salad and some garlic bread for a dinner that everyone will rave about.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces whole-wheat penne
- 4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, cut into pieces
- ¾ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional)
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 cups half-and-half
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 shallot, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 (10-ounce) packages baby spinach
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 4 ounces low-moisture, part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded, divided
- chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley for garnish (optional)