Original Creamy Garlic Layered Pasta Bake

I really wanted to make a simple pasta bake with a creamy sauce and vegetables, so I took the chance to create a recipe. Yes, this is an original. And you know those sauces that ask for heavy ingredients such as butter or half and half? Well this is your lucky day because this hardly has any of that, but it is still very tasty. I'll admit that this is now one of my favorite dishes, not because I made it up, even though I feel proud of coming up with it :)

Rachel Roy's Creamy Garlic Layered Pasta Bake


1/4 tsp minced garlic
1/2 Tbsp butter
1 3/4 C milk (I used 1%) (Put away 1/4 cup of it to use for later)
2 1/2 Tbsp flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp dried Italian Seasoning
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp lemon juice

2 1/2 C dried bow tie pasta
2 C Fresh Spinach
1 large round tomato
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 C shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/4 C crumbled Parmesan cheese

8x8 pan
2 sauce pans


Preheat oven to 375.

Bring enough water inside a sauce pan to a boil for the pasta. Add a pinch of salt, then the bow tie pasta.

Cook butter (only 1/2 Tbsp) and minced garlic in another sauce pan over medium-high heat for 2 min, or until golden. Add 1 1/2 C milk. Whisk and cook for 1 minute to warm up.

Add 2 1/2 Tbsp flour. Whisk to get clumps out, and reduce heat to medium.

Add the salt, pepper, Italian Seasoning, garlic powder, basil, and lemon juice. When the sauce begins to thicken, add the remaining 1/4 C milk. Bring up heat to Med-high for a minute, then reduce to med-low.

Once the pasta is tender, drain. Once the sauce is thick enough, add it to the pasta mixture and stir to combine.

Roughly chop the spinach and the tomato. Shred the mozzarella if not already.

Coat an 8x8 pan with the 1 tsp olive oil. Layer the creamy pasta, then the tomato pieces, then the spinach. Top with cheeses.

Place into the oven and bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Voila!