Baked Spinach and Mushroom Rigatoni

By á-7994

Tip: Most baked rigatoni recipes call for precooking the noodles. You can skip that step here: The tomato sauce and vegetables render the pasta soft and tender--and saturated with juicy flavor. This recipe works well with penne, too.

Ingredients

• 1 28 oz. can whole peeled tomatoes
• 2 T. olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1/2 pound rigatoni
• 1 red onion, sliced
• 1 pound mixed mushrooms (such as cremini, button, and shiitake)trimmed and sliced
• 2 10 oz. packages frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed of excess liquid
• 1 15 oz. container ricotta
• 8 oz. mozzarella, grated
• grated parmesan, for serving

Preparation

Step 1

Break up the tomatoes and their juices in a medium bowl with your hands or a potato masher. Add the oil. garlic, 3/4 t. salt, and 1/2 t. pepper. In a separate medium bowl, combine the uncooked rigtoni, onion, and mushrooms.

Spread 1/3 tomato mixture in the bottom of a 4-6 qt. slow cooker. Top with half the pasta mixture, half the spinach, 1/3 tomato mixture, half the ricotta, and half the mozzarella.;repeat. Cover and cook on high until the pasta is tender, 3 1/2-4 hours.

Serve sprinkled with the parmesan.