Serves : 4
Cooking time : 30 minutes (15 minutes for pasta + 15 minutes in the oven)
Ingredients
- 1 bag of chicken meatballs in tomato basil sauce (ready-made)
- 250 g (about 2 cups) short pasta (penne, rigatoni or fusilli)
- 1 red or yellow bell pepper, julienned
- 500 ml (2 cups) fresh spinach
- 200 ml (1 ½ cups) grated mozzarella
- 60 ml (¼ cup) grated Parmesan
- 15 ml (1 tbsp) olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2.5 ml (½ tsp) chili flakes
- 1 tsp (5 ml) Italian herbs (basil, oregano)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Preparation
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, about 10-12 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the julienned bell pepper and sauté for 3-4 minutes, until starting to soften. Then add the minced garlic and chilli flakes, and sauté briefly until the garlic is fragrant, being careful not to burn it.
- Add the chicken meatballs in tomato sauce and fresh spinach to the pan. Heat until the spinach is just wilted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Toss the cooked pasta with the meatball and tomato sauce mixture, then pour into a baking dish.
- Sprinkle the grated mozzarella and grated parmesan on top.
- Bake the casserole for 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and lightly browned.
- Remove the casserole from the oven and let it rest for a few minutes before serving.
