Baked Ziti with Spinach and Veal

  • Level: Easy
  • Yield: 4 to 6 servings
  • Total: 1 hr 40 min
  • Prep: 15 min
  • Inactive: 45 min
  • Cook: 40 min
Share This Recipe

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

  1. Bring a large pot of water to boil for pasta.
  2. 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.
  3. Meanwhile, drop the pasta in salted water and undercook by 2 minutes from package cooking directions.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
  7. 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.

Fudge Factor

Review: Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert's Chocolate Bar Nov 16, 2012

Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert have teamed up with master chocolatier Christopher Curtin to create the "Good & Evil" chocolate b …

The Craziest Chocolate Creations for American Chocolate Week Mar 17, 2013

It’s officially American Chocolate Week. Check out photos of mind-blowing chocolate creations.

Train Frontman Pat Monahan's Dark Chocolate Obsession Feb 11, 2013

By: Cameron Curtis

Train frontman Pat Monahan, an avid chocolate lover, shared with us his top five reasons for eating dark chocolate.

Sifted: Plan-Ahead Valentine's Day Desserts Feb 6, 2013

By: Lauren Miyashiro

Get our take on the best in food news, recipes and more from around the web, including the best Valentine's Day recipes.

Over-the-Top-Delicious Treats to Satisfy Your Food Obsession

Are you infatuated with ice cream? Do you lust over lobster? Swoon at the sight of chocolate? Here's the best recipe for each food …

Chocolate Desserts

Indulge in our decadent chocolate desserts, from cookies and cakes to puddings, souffles and truffles.

How to Chop and Melt Chocolate

Lots of recipes call for melted chocolate. Follow these step-by-step instructions to do it properly.

Essentials: Chocolate Basics Sep 1, 2016

Satisfy that chocolate craving in your very own kitchen. All you need is baking chocolate and a little know-how. It also helps to …