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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LvlyHairLady

posted:9/25/2011

What a great dish! My 7 year old son loves it. I did add sliced chicken on the top to have a little meat. My Dad is humming as he eats which means he really like it.

a cook

posted:9/22/2011

It was so easy to make and had great flavor! I will definitely make this again and share the recipe. Great for adults but I couldn't get my kids to eat it.

taflambas

posted:9/13/2011

Disappointed. Followed recipe exactly and thought it didn't have much flavor. It smelled great cooking, but the taste was lacking. Sorry!

a cook

posted:9/13/2011

Very very good recipe. However, I would recommend increasing the flour to 1 and 1/2 tbsp. Next time I will mix the flour, seasongs,and broth together in a seperate pot until thickened. Then add to the zucchini/vegetable mixture.

xnodaybuttoday

posted:9/9/2011

I really liked this the first night, it even recieved glowing reviews from my boyfriend who is not shy about telling me when he doesn't like something. But I doubled the recipe to freeze and take as lunches and it just does not taste even half as good reheated in my opinion. It tastes bland and gluey while the original was just fabulous. Make extras with caution

a cook

posted:8/28/2011

Wonderful!!!! We loved this dish and it smells absolutely delicious! :-)

aejaklevic

posted:8/8/2011

I added red peppers and an extra zucchini and this was an easy and tasty recipe. It also reheats very well!

CAP2540

posted:8/4/2011

Made this to use up extra zucchini from the garden and was pleasantly surprised with the dish. No changes at all to the recipe and it was delicious and easy. Highly recommend!

mxkely

posted:7/25/2011

I made this casserole this weekend with some extra zucchini I had on hand. With a few alterations, it was a hit. The kids actually asked for seconds when I thought the zucchini would turn them off. I used an entire box of whole wheat penne pasta, olive oil, no mushrooms, 2 zucchini instead of 1 and frozen chopped spinach thawed and drained. Oh most importantly, 8oz of cream cheese, extra flour and some milk along with the chicken broth to make it creamer. I still can't believe the whole family came back for more.

angel7179

posted:7/18/2011

Wonderful! I loved it! My boyfriend loved it! Will definitely be making this again! The only thing I did differently was add 1 yellow squash... SO YUMMY!