Dollop ricotta cheese onto raw rotini pasta, coupled with 3 ingredients, into a ceramic baking dish for a meatless meal that’s become the one everyone asks for

This oven-baked spinach ricotta rotini is one of those back-pocket, five-ingredient dinners that feels a little magical. You scatter dry rotini straight into a ceramic baking dish, tuck in frozen spinach, pour over a well-seasoned tomato sauce, and then dollop ricotta right on top before it all goes into the oven. The pasta absorbs the sauce as it bakes, the spinach melts into the curls, and the ricotta turns silky and golden in spots. It’s a meatless, Italian-American–style bake that’s simple enough for a Tuesday but cozy and impressive enough that friends inevitably ask for the recipe.

Serve this spinach ricotta pasta with a crisp green salad—think romaine or mixed lettuces with a lemony vinaigrette—to balance the richness of the cheese. Warm, crusty bread or garlic toast is ideal for swiping up the saucy edges from the baking dish. A light red wine, such as Chianti or a domestic Pinot Noir, pairs nicely, as does sparkling water with a slice of citrus. For a fuller spread, add a simple roasted vegetable, like broccoli or carrots, seasoned with olive oil and salt.

Servings: 4

12 ounces dry rotini pasta

Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly grease a medium ceramic baking dish (about 2 to 2 1/2 quarts) with olive oil if you like, to help prevent sticking and make cleanup easier.

Spread the dry rotini evenly in the bottom of the ceramic baking dish. The pasta should sit in a relatively even layer so it cooks uniformly in the oven.

In a medium bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the marinara sauce, water, salt, and black pepper until well combined. This liquid mixture is what the raw pasta will absorb as it bakes.

Scatter the thawed, well-squeezed chopped spinach evenly over the dry rotini, breaking up any clumps with your fingers so it distributes throughout the pasta.

Pour the marinara and water mixture evenly over the pasta and spinach, making sure most of the rotini is submerged. Gently press down any pieces of pasta that are sticking up so they’re at least moistened.

Using a spoon or small scoop, dollop the ricotta cheese all over the top of the sauced pasta and spinach. You want visible mounds of ricotta scattered across the surface, as seen in the process shot of hands spooning ricotta over raw rotini in the ceramic dish.

Cover the baking dish tightly with foil, tenting it slightly so it doesn’t press directly into the ricotta. Bake, covered, for 35 to 40 minutes, until the pasta is mostly tender and the liquid is largely absorbed.

Remove the foil and bake uncovered for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until the top is bubbling, the ricotta is just starting to turn golden in spots, and the pasta is fully cooked. If the edges look dry before the pasta is tender, drizzle a few tablespoons of hot water around the sides and return to the oven briefly.

Let the baked pasta rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. This short rest allows the sauce to thicken slightly and makes it easier to scoop neat portions from the ceramic dish.

For extra richness, you can stir 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan into the marinara mixture before pouring it over the pasta, or sprinkle it lightly over the top during the final uncovered bake. If you prefer more vegetables, add a cup of frozen peas or a handful of sliced mushrooms on top of the pasta along with the spinach. Whole-wheat or legume-based rotini will work, but may need an extra splash of water and a few more minutes in the oven; check for tenderness before pulling it out. To introduce gentle heat, add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the sauce mixture. You can also swap the marinara for a chunky tomato-basil sauce for more texture, or use part tomato sauce and part crushed tomatoes for a looser consistency. Leftovers reheat well in a 350°F (175°C) oven, covered, with a spoonful of water added to keep the pasta from drying out.