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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linz382

posted:10/13/2012

Great for the Vegitarians in the family and Chicken can be easliy added for some protein.

msomama

posted:9/26/2012

Easy and got my kids to eat veggies..will make again.

DamienRiceFan

posted:9/25/2012

This is a delicious meal and even my pickiest kid LOVED it, she said the zucchini and spinach were her favorite part!

alexchastain

posted:9/24/2012

This recipe was delicious. My son, who doesn't eat too many veggies, loved this.

jcanbt5

posted:9/12/2012

I added 2 cans of shredded chicken breast meat when I made this. It was awesom! The whole family loved it!! Great recipe!

tricia681

posted:9/11/2012

I made no changes to this recipe and we thought it was very good. However, my husband said he thought it would be even better if it had chicken in it. I'll try that next time.

brheltz

posted:9/8/2012

Loved this recipe...thick and creamy You can change vegetables and have an entire new dish the next time around!

a cook

posted:8/19/2012

My family loved this recipe. My son asked me when I was going to make it again. I thought it was very good too, but it was a little dry. I think next time I'll make it without the flour for thickening. I think the cream cheese will make the sauce thick enough.

GreenEyes23

posted:8/12/2012

This is a solid recipe. I have made it twice now, but I made changes the first time that I cooked it due to the produce I had on hand and it was so delicious that I don't think I can ever make it as written. And that is the reason for the 4 stars. The changes I made were that I omitted the mushrooms and zucchini and used 1 large tomato, that I diced and cooked, until reduced, with the garlic before adding in the flour, seasonings, and chicken broth. I also used half a box of frozen spinach that I thawed and squeezed dry, before adding it to the tomato/garlic mixture. I basically followed the recipe as written the rest of the way. And it's definitely something I will make again and again. We're having it with grilled pesto chicken tonight! Can't wait! :-)

harryleemartin

posted:8/7/2012

Turned out incredibly tasteful. Love all the veggies that are included. Tastes very rich, but without the accompanying calories. Only change I made was to use low-fat cream cheese. No garlic in the house, so used a tad of garlic salt on the cream mixture. This is a definite keeper.