Cheesy Rigatoni Skillet with Mushrooms and Spinach

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 oz mushrooms, sliced
• 24 oz pasta sauce, your favorite
• 1/4 lb fresh spinach
• 8 oz rigatoni
• 8 oz whole milk ricotta
• 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

1. Set a large pot of water over high heat for the rigatoni. When it reaches a boil, add the pasta and cook it until tender, then drain it in a colander and hold it aside.
2. Once the pasta water is on, get the sauce going. Pour the olive oil into a large skillet, add the minced garlic, and cook over medium heat for about 1 minute, just until the garlic smells wonderful. Add the sliced mushrooms with a pinch of salt and pepper, then keep cooking until the liquid from the mushrooms has cooked off and the edges start to color, about 5-7 minutes.
3. Pour the pasta sauce into the skillet. Stir as it warms, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom so they melt into the sauce. When the sauce is hot, add the spinach and continue stirring and cooking until the greens have softened, about 5 minutes more.
4. Add the cooked, drained rigatoni to the skillet and stir it into the sauce and vegetables until everything is hot.
5. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Spoon the ricotta mixture over the pasta in dollops, then gently fold it through just enough to partially combine it, leaving little pockets of ricotta tucked throughout the skillet.
6. Scatter the shredded mozzarella over the top, cover the skillet, and warm it over medium-low heat until the cheese melts. For a little browning, slide the uncovered skillet under the oven’s broiler and watch it carefully until a few golden spots appear. Serve hot.