Healthy Pesto Baked Rigatoni
Looking for a delicious and healthy pasta dish? Look no further than this Healthy Pesto Baked Rigatoni! This dish is packed with flavor and nutrients, and it's easy to make too.
Looking for a delicious and healthy pasta dish? Look no further than this Healthy Pesto Baked Rigatoni! This dish is packed with flavor and nutrients, and it's easy to make too.
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 lb. whole wheat rigatoni
- 2-3 cups chopped heirloom tomatoes
- 1/2 cup shredded cheese of choice (i used asiago)
- pesto (recipe follows)
- 2 cups spinach
- 1 cup kale
- 1 cup basil
- 3/4 cup almonds or pine nuts
- 1/4 cup parmesan or asiago cheese
- 3 large cloves garlic
- juice of 1 lemon (optional)
- Carbohydrate 1.55543791686851 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 3.48559583768248 g
- Fiber 0.399629169923737 g
- Protein 0.646356250239923 g
- Saturated Fat 0.480494833930255 g
- Serving Size 1 1 -10 (95g)
- Sodium 10.4853333342249 mg
- Sugar 1.15580874694477 g
- Trans Fat 0.12607383345908 g
- Calories 38 calories
Step-by-step
- Bring a large pot of water to boil.
- While the water is boiling, chop up the tomatoes - I just cut the little ones in half.
- Add the past to the water and cook according to package directions.
- While the pasta is cooking, place all the pesto ingredients in the food processor until smooth.
- You may have to push the spinach down periodically to get everything moving.
- I had to do this in two batches because my food processor is very small.
- You should end up with 2 heaping cups of pesto.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Toss the cooked noodles with the chopped tomatoes, pesto, and enough water to make it a little saucy.
- Transfer to a 9x13 baking dish and sprinkle with the cheese.
- Cover loosely with well-oiled aluminum foil and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
Swapping pine nuts for standard almonds in the green sauce alters the final cost significantly without sacrificing richness. Pine nuts command high prices per ounce. Almonds provide a comparable fat content that emulsifies just as effectively when processed with garlic and cheese. Whole wheat tubes demand extra liquid during assembly. Their dense structure absorbs moisture rapidly during the 15-minute bake at 400 degrees. Adding reserved pasta water prevents the dish from drying out inside the 9x13 baking dish.
Managing Nutrients and Textures
Leafy greens dictate the vibrancy of the sauce. Combining spinach and kale softens the aggressive bitterness found in raw dark greens. Food processors often struggle with voluminous raw greens. Working in two separate batches prevents motor strain and ensures an even puree. Raw garlic cloves can easily overpower milder cheeses like Asiago or Parmesan. Mincing the garlic before blending distributes the pungency uniformly throughout the paste.
Reheating and Storage
Whole wheat pasta continues to absorb moisture as it cools in the refrigerator. Storing leftovers in an airtight container for up to three days requires adding a splash of water before reheating. Microwaving the portions at medium power prevents the cheese from separating into an oily layer. Fresh heirloom tomatoes release excess water during storage, so consume within forty-eight hours for the best texture.
