Recipes

Mostaccioli - Spinach Bake

Written on January 01, 2005

8 oz uncooked mostaccioli (about 3 cups uncooked tubular shaped pasta)
2 tablespoons reduced-calorie stick margarine, divided
1 cup vertically sliced onion
2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups skim milk
1 1/4 cups (5 oz) pre-shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
1 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano
1 (10 oz) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
Cooking Spray
1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons (1/2 oz) pre-shredded Parmesan cheese
Parsley Sprigs (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain; set aside.

Melt 1 T margarine in a medium heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; saute 5 minutes or until tender. Add flour; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk; cook 4 minutes or until bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir in 1/4 cup cheese, Italian seasoning, and pepper; remove from heat.

Combine pasta, cheese sauce, 1 cup cheese tomatoes, and spinach in a large bowl; stir well. Spoon mixture into a 13 X 9 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Combine breadcrumbs, 2 T cheese, and remaining 1 T margarine; sprinkle over pasta mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Garnish with parsley, if desired.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)

Calories 372 (26% from fat); FAT 10.6g (sat 5.1g, mono 3.3g, poly 1.4g); PROTEIN 21 g; CARB 48.4g; FIBER 3.6g; CHOL 20mg; IRON 3.8 mg; SODIUM 884 mg; CALC 525 mg

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