Discover how to prepare baked ziti with shrimp, spinach, and feta cheese. Dive into the Baked Ziti Recipe with Shrimp or continue reading for our expert tips on creating this dish.
There are few things as delightful as pasta for me — I simply adore it. I appreciate that pasta can be hearty like our Pumpkin Mac and Cheese or light, like this shrimp ziti. The versatility of pasta allows it to be paired with almost anything, from brown butter and walnuts to sausage and ricotta. Most importantly, I value its quick preparation time. With just about 15 minutes of hands-on time, this simple baked ziti is ideal for hectic evenings.
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How to Create Baked Ziti with Shrimp and Spinach
Commence by cooking your pasta, ensuring it is undercooked by 1 to 2 minutes. This way, when mixed with the other ingredients and baked, the pasta retains its texture.
One of the highlights of this recipe is the zesty tomato sauce. It’s light and beautifully complements the shrimp and feta cheese. Crafting this sauce is remarkably simple — just olive oil, canned tomatoes, garlic, red pepper flakes, and lemon zest.
For the shrimp, lightly season them with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Then, after cooking the pasta, combine it with the shrimp, our homemade sauce, spinach, and feta cheese.
Eagerly toss all ingredients together and transfer them into a baking dish. Notice how fresh and light the dish appears. That’s what makes it so appealing.
Just before baking, generously sprinkle breadcrumbs, feta cheese, and a drizzle of olive oil on top. Then, bake the ziti until the shrimp are fully cooked and the top begins to develop a golden hue.
Recipe updated, originally published in February 2012. Since our initial post, we have refined the recipe for improved clarity. – Adam and Joanne
Simple Baked Ziti Recipe with Shrimp and Spinach
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With just 15 minutes of hands-on time, this straightforward baked ziti is ideal for busy evenings. When boiling the pasta, be sure to undercook it by 1 to 2 minutes to prevent it from becoming mushy when baked.
Makes approximately 4 servings
You Will Need
8 ounces dried pasta, such as ziti, penne, or rigatoni
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
8 ounces medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 (10-ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (about 1 ¼ cups)
2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons dried breadcrumbs
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
Directions
1Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 2-quart baking dish or spray with non-stick cooking spray.
2Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil, add the pasta then follow package directions, but cook 1 to 2 minutes less than the package calls for. Drain.
3Meanwhile, make the sauce. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes over medium heat until the garlic turns light brown; about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes with juices, lemon zest, a ¼ teaspoon of salt, and a pinch of pepper. Cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Taste the sauce for seasoning, and adjust with additional salt and pepper if necessary.
4Toss the shrimp with 1 teaspoon of olive oil, a ¼ teaspoon of salt, and a few grinds of black pepper.
5In a large bowl, toss the drained pasta, tomato sauce, shrimp, ringed out spinach, and half of the feta cheese. Add to the baking dish then top with remaining feta cheese, breadcrumbs, and a drizzle of olive oil.
6Bake the ziti, covered, until the shrimp are thoroughly cooked (they will become firm and opaque); about 15 minutes. Uncover, and then bake until the cheese and breadcrumbs begin to brown, about 10 minutes.
Adam and Joanne’s Tips
- Substitute cooked fresh spinach for frozen spinach. Cook approximately 1 pound of fresh spinach until wilted, squeeze out excess moisture, and incorporate it into the filling.
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Meet Adam and Joanne Gallagher, the brains behind Inspired Taste. Established in 2009, Inspired Taste blossomed from a cherished childhood aspiration into one of the internet’s most respected recipe platforms with a plethora of dependable recipes, step-by-step videos, and expert advice. Learn More About Us