Creamy Zucchini & Spinach Rigatoni

Creamy Zucchini & Spinach Rigatoni recipe

photo by:kraft

Get 'em to say "Yes!" to zucchini—and spinach—with this ooey-gooey, delectable pasta dish. Just another day in the life of a rock-star mom.

time

prep:

35 min

total:

45 min

servings

total:

6 servings, 1-1/3 cups each

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What You Need

oz. (1/2 of 16-oz. pkg.) rigatoni pasta, uncooked

tsp. oil

zucchini, sliced

1/2

lb. sliced fresh mushrooms

cloves garlic, minced

Tbsp. flour

1/4

tsp. each dried basil leaves, oregano leaves and crushed red pepper

cup fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth

oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Neufchatel Cheese, cubed

pkg. (6 oz.) baby spinach leaves

1/4

cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese

1-1/2

cups KRAFT Shredded Mozzarella Cheese with a TOUCH OF PHILADELPHIA, divided

Make It

HEAT oven to 375ºF.

COOK pasta in large saucepan as directed on package, omitting salt.

MEANWHILE, heat oil in large skillet on medium heat. Add zucchini, mushrooms and garlic; cook and stir 3 to 4 min. or until zucchini is crisp-tender. Add flour and seasonings; cook and stir 1 min. Stir in broth; cook and stir 2 to 3 min. or until thickened. Add Neufchatel; cook and stir 2 to 3 min. or until melted.

DRAIN pasta; return to pan. Add zucchini mixture, spinach, Parmesan and 1/2 cup mozzarella; mix lightly. Spoon into 2-qt. casserole sprayed with cooking spray; top with remaining mozzarella.

BAKE 10 min. or until mozzarella is melted.

Kraft Kitchens Tips

Serving Suggestion

Serve with fresh fruit and a side salad to round out the meal.

Preparing Perfect Pasta

Follow the package directions to ensure that enough water is used for cooking the pasta. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente (tender but still a little firm to the bite), stirring frequently. To prevent pasta from sticking, add it slowly to plenty of boiling water and stir frequently while cooking. Adding oil to the cooking water is not recommended because some sauces may not cling to pasta coated with oil.

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Lmdamigella

posted:8/2/2012

This was so good! I added a bit more garlic, used regular cream cheese and regular mozzarella without the touch of Philadelphia because that's what I had on hand. If it makes it to dinner tonight, I will add some leftover cooked chicken.

jmartin0418

posted:7/17/2012

My whole family loves this recipe! The only thing I did differently was that I grated the zucchini. My kid wouldn't eat it when it was in slices. Grating it made it not noticable and they ate it and didn't even know :)

tigg189074

posted:7/10/2012

I followed what other reviewers said: I added chicken, more garlic, and yellow squash. I also used whole wheat pasta and added tomatoes. I thought it was great! I'm not a big fan of squash, but I thought it was really good (and it looked very close to the picture)! Will definitely make again.

teachergirl09

posted:4/3/2012

AMAZING! This is my fiance's new favorite! :)

ymhaka

posted:3/31/2012

Delicious !! Will definitely make again….

LoriLikesToCook

posted:3/2/2012

Easy to put together. Turned out lovely. I used green zucchini and yellow squash. The sauce was perfect. Even better the next day warmed up for a quick lunch!

bingobabe94

posted:3/1/2012

My whole family just loved this!! I did add grilled chicken,extra garlic and a little salt to the veggies and it made it quite good. The only change I would make is that I would probably add the spinach after I added the Neufchatel Cheese and then add it all to the pasta. I like the spinach to be a little more cooked and wilted. Other than that I will for sure make this again!!

a cook

posted:2/29/2012

This was very easy and very good. I made slight modifications after reading others' reviews concerning lack of flavor: 1) I doubled the herbs (used Italian seasoning), 2) added a few shakes of garlic salt, and 3) a little cooked chicken. So many ingredients would fit well with the basics of this recipe.

cmsieben1

posted:2/26/2012

Very good! I used whole wheat pasta and more zucchini. Next time I would add chicken.

cctp1016

posted:2/23/2012

I used Swiss cheese instead of mozzarella since that's all I had and it was delish!!