Pasta Light/1998

Wagon Wheels with Spinach-Basil Sauce
Servings Preparation Time Cooking Time Calories % from Fat Fat Sodium Carbohydrates Protein Cholesterol
4 30 minutes 50 minutes 512 N/A 15g 639mg 65g 31g 34mg


INGREDIENTS:
1 red bell pepper, diced 8 ounces ruote (wagon wheel) pasta 2 tablespoons flour
2-1/2 cups low-fat (1%) milk 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil 4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry 1 large tomato, halved, seeded, and coarsely chopped
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese 2 tablespoons pine nuts 3 ounces part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 3/4 cup)
2 tablespoons plain dried bread crumbs



1 In a large pot of boiling water, cook the bell pepper until just crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Reserve the boiling water for the ruote and, with a slotted spoon, transfer the pepper to a colander to drain. Cook the ruote in the reserved boiling water until just tender. Drain well. Return the ruote and bell pepper to the cooking pot and set aside.
2 Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 F. Place the flour in a large saucepan over medium heat, and gradually whisk in the milk. Bring to a boil and cook, whisking frequently, until the mixture is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
3 Whisk in the basil, garlic and cayenne and cook until the flavors have blended, about 4 minutes longer. Remove from the heat and stir in the spinach, tomato, and Parmesan. Pour the spinach sauce over the ruote mixture and toss well to combine.
4 Spray a 2-quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Spoon the ruote mixture into the prepared baking dish. Scatter the pine nuts over, cover with foil, and bake for 15 minutes, or until the casserole is piping hot. Remove the foil, sprinkle the mozzarella over, and dust with the bread crumbs. Bake for 5 minutes longer, or until the cheese is melted and the crumbs are golden.

Back