This recipe for my Cheesy Ground Lamb and Spinach Pasta Bake is a close spin off of my Cheesy Beef and Kale Pasta Bake. The original recipe was adapted from one of my favorite recipes my mom used to make growing up. We always just referred to it as “penne pasta,” and everyone knew what we were talking about. I’ve added some veggies and changed the original shredded chicken to come up with this version.
Here’s some different options to consider when making this recipe:
-
Havarti cheese can be expensive. If you don’t want to use the full amount in the recipe, that’s totally fine. It will still come out just as yummy! You can cut the cheese down by half. Or if you want to use the full amount but don’t want to spend the money on havarti, shredded mozzarella works great too!
-
If you don’t have spinach on hand or want to use something else, you can sub any other leafy green for spinach. Or even broccoli chopped into small pieces.
-
I’ve always used penne but any other similar shaped pasta will work. I use a bean based pasta, but again, just use your favorite pasta brand.
-
I use a pre-seasoned marinara sauce. You can certainly make your own but there’s lots of pre-made varieties at the store made with great ingredients!
The recipe as listed makes a big dish of pasta! It lasts our family of 4 (2 adults and 2 small kids) at least 3-4 meals.
Cheesy Ground Lamb and Spinach Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds ground American lamb
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 1 pound penne pasta of choice
- 1 5 oz bag baby spinach
- 24 oz. seasoned marinara sauce
- 8 oz. soft havarti cheese shredded
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese shredded
Instructions
- Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat on the stove. Add the the yellow onions and sautee in avocado oil for 10-15 minutes until they start to brown. Add the ground lamb to the sauteeing onions, and cook until it is no longer pink. Set the lamb and onion mixture aside.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Drain the pasta and add it to the skillet with the lamb and onions. Next, add the baby spinach, marinara sauce, and havarti cheese and mix it all up until the cheese is mostly melted.
- Transfer the mixture to a greased 9×13 baking dish. Sprinkle the top with the parmesan cheese. Bake on 350 degrees for about 20-30 minutes until it starts to brown and bubble. Enjoy!
