Baked Ziti with Spinach and Veal

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Picture of Baked Ziti with Spinach and Veal Recipe Photo: Baked Ziti with Spinach and Veal Recipe
Rated 5 stars out of 5
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  • Read 16 Reviews
Total Time:
1 hr 40 min
Prep
15 min
Inactive
45 min
Cook
40 min
Yield:
4 to 6 servings
Level:
Easy
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Ingredients

  • 2 bundles farm spinach, trimmed, washed and dried, chopped
  • Salt
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 pound ground veal
  • 1 small carrot, peeled and finely chopped
  • 2 large shallots or 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 3 to 4 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons very thinly sliced fresh sage (a small handful of leaves)
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup dry white wine or chicken stock-in-a-box
  • 1 pound ziti, whole wheat pasta or whole grain ziti
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 3 rounded tablespoons flour
  • 2 1/2 cups milk
  • Freshly grated nutmeg, to your taste
  • About 1 1/2 cups grated Italian fontina (recommended: Fontina Val D'Aosta or 6 ounces Gruyere cheese)
  • About 3/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to boil for pasta.

In the skillet heat the olive oil, 2 turns of the pan, over medium to medium-high heat. Add the ground veal and lightly brown and crumble, then add the chopped carrot, shallots, garlic, and sage and season with salt and a little pepper and cook to soften carrots and onions, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, add the wine and turn the heat down a bit to simmer gently.

Meanwhile, drop the pasta in salted water and undercook by 2 minutes from package cooking directions.

In a saucepot over medium to medium-high heat, add butter and melt, whisk in the flour for 1 minute then whisk in the milk, bring to a bubble and season with more salt than pepper and a few grates of nutmeg. When the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon taste and adjust nutmeg and pepper to your liking.

Add the spinach to the veal until it is wilted and incorporate, then stir together the pasta, veal mixture, and sauce. Pour the mixture into a casserole and top with the cheeses. Cool, cover and store for a make-ahead meal.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Place the casserole on a baking sheet to catch the drips and bake in a hot oven until brown and bubbly, 35 to 45 minutes if reheating, 15 to 20 minutes, if not.

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Newest Ratings and Reviews

Read all 16 reviews

  • on July 22, 2012

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    Was a hit with my family! The things I did a different was add a little fontina and parmesan to the cream sauce (I used the remainder to top the dish as directed. I just thought it would incorporate the cheese flavor better. I also used Italian sausage as others had suggested. We had some in the freezer left over from deer season. I will definitely make again. Comfort food!

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  • on September 18, 2011

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    The grocery was waiting on a meat delivery so I ended up using ground turkey. I live in a small town so I wasn't going to pay $11 for gruyere cheese so I used the cheese we had brought home from Italy. Used dry sage and nutmeg since it was not available to me fresh. This dish was marvelous even with all the substitutions. Only thing my husband added was some zing. Next time I will add some fresh red pepper to the cream sauce while it is simmering. Yummy! and a Keeper.

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  • on September 18, 2011

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    Fantastic! Definitely the ultimate comfort food. I added sauteed mushrooms to the veal and spinach mixture and it tastes wonderful. I used Gruyere cheese and when it baked, it had this nutty flavor, which I loved. This recipe is going into my archive for sure. A great dish to take to a pot luck dinner too!

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