Categories: Main Dish, Pasta, Rachael Ray, Vegetarian
Ingredients
- coarse salt
- 1 (10 ounce) box frozen chopped spinach
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 medium zucchini
- 12 cremini mushrooms or 12 baby portabella mushrooms, sliced
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- salt and pepper
- 1 roasted red pepper, drained, pat dry, quartered lengthwise then thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup vegetable stock or 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 cup milk
- 1/4 teaspoon grated fresh nutmeg, eyeball it
- 1 1/2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, a couple of handfuls, plus some to pass at the table
- 1 cup fresh basil leaf, about 20 leaves
Directions
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Heat a pot of water to a boil for pasta.
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Salt boiling water and cook pasta to al dente. Heads up: reserve a ladle of the hot cooking water just before you drain pasta.
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Place the frozen spinach on a plate and microwave to defrost it according to your microwave’s directions.
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Place defrosted spinach in a clean kitchen towel and wring out the liquid.
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Heat a deep skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil.
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Halve the zucchini lengthwise then thinly slice into half moons and add to the pan along with the mushrooms.
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Cook 2 to 3 minutes then add onions and garlic to the pan.
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Season the vegetables with salt and pepper.
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When the onions are tender, about 5 minutes, add defrosted spinach, separating into small bits as you handle it, and the roasted red peppers and toss to heat through.
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Transfer veggies to a dish and return skillet to stove top.
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Add remaining 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil and the butter.
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When the butter melts into extra-virgin olive oil, add 2 rounded tablespoons of flour and cook a minute or so, then whisk in stock and milk.
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Bring to a bubble and thicken the sauce, reducing it 2 to 3 minutes.
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Season the sauce with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
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Slide vegetables back into sauce.
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Place the part-skim ricotta in a large shallow bowl and combine with a ladle of boiling, starchy pasta cooking water.
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Stir to combine then add in a couple of handfuls of grated cheese.
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Drain pasta and toss with cheeses.
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Add half the vegetables and sauce to pasta and toss to combine.
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Tear or shred basil and toss into pasta. Adjust seasonings.
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Top bowlfuls of Vegetable Not-sagna with remaining veggies in sauce and pass extra grated cheese at the table.