I love spinach artichoke dip. I’ve loved it for over half my life. And I’ll love it till the day I croak or become allergic to artichokes. Whichever comes first.Myspinach artichoke dipis a tremendously terrific appetizer, but one day Idecided to take a walk on the wild side and make a pasta version of the party dip. And then I died from bliss. This pasta dish is a 30-minute meal that's a little naughty andoh so delicious. The crunchy panko breadcrumb topping is the cherry on top.
What kind of pasta is best for spinach artichoke pasta?
I use penne, but use whatever pasta shape your heart desires. Fusilli? Sure.Fettucine? Mmm hmm.Bowtie pasta? Go for it.
Can you use frozen spinach for spinach artichoke pasta?
Yes, you can use a 10-ounce package of frozen chopped spinach for this. Just be sure to defrost it and squeeze as much liquid as you can out of it before adding it to pan with the butter and garlic.
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- Yields:
- 10 serving(s)
- Prep Time:
- 10 mins
- Cook Time:
- 20 mins
- Total Time:
- 30 mins
Ingredients
- 6 tbsp.
salted butter, divided
- 4
cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2
(5- to6-oz.)bags baby spinach
- 2
(15-oz.) cans artichoke hearts, drained and halved
- 3 tbsp.
all-purpose flour
- 3 c.
whole milk
- 1/2 c.
grated parmesan cheese
- 1 1/2 c.
grated mozzarella or monterey jackcheese
Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/4 tsp.
cayenne pepper
- 1/2 c.
low-sodium chicken broth (optional)
- 12 oz.
penne pasta, cooked until al dente
- 1/2 c.
seasoned panko breadcrumbs, to serve
Crushed red pepper, to taste
Directions
- Step1In a large pot or skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the garlic and spinach. Stir it around until it's wilted, about 1 minute. Remove the spinach from the skillet and set aside.
- Step2Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the same pot and increase the heat to medium-high. Throw in the artichoke hearts and stir them around until they get a little color, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the artichokes from the pot and set them aside.
- Step3Reduce the heat to low. Add the remaining2 tablespoons of butter to the pot. When melted, sprinkle in the flour and whisk to combine. Pour in the milk and whisk to combine. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture starts to thicken,3 to 4 minutes. Add the parmesan, mozzarella,salt and black pepper to taste, and cayenne pepper.Stir to melt. If it's overly thick, splash in thechicken broth.
- Step4Add theartichokes and pasta, tossing gently to combine. Gently fold in the spinach, then pour the pasta into a serving bowl. Sprinkle the top with panko for crunch and crushed red pepper flakes. Serve immediately!
Tip:Lightly toast the panko to make it extra crunchy! Toss the panko with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and toast it in a skillet over medium heat for about five minutes, stirring every now and then.
The Cast of Characters: Butter, garlic, spinach, canned artichokes, flour, milk, cream cheese, Monterey Jack (or mozzarella), parmesan, salt, cayenne pepper, and (not pictured because I’m an airhead) seasoned panko breadcrumbs.
Don’t get too attached to that there cream cheese, though. You’ll find out why in a minute.
We’ll start by quickly wilting the spinach! Melt some butter in a large pot over medium heat…
Then throw in a bunch of minced garlic.
Like a whole heckuva bunch.
Throw in two bags of baby spinach (it shrinks a lot!)…
And stir it around until it just begins to wilt. This takes probably a minute, minute-and-a-half.
If only my love handles shrunk so quickly.
Remove the spinach from the pot (set it aside on a plate) and melt a little more butter in the pot. Increase the heat to high.
Drain a couple of cans of artichokes and slice them in half (unless they’re already sliced)…
And throw them into the pot.
Stir them around for a couple of minutes, just to get as much color on them as you can…
Then remove them from the heat and set aside on a plate.
Reduce the heat to low and add a little more butter to the pan (and notice all that awesome flavor on the sides).
Sprinkle in a little bit of flour…
And whisk it all together until it’s a very (in this case) weird looking paste.
Pour in the milk…
And whisk it all together to combine.
Add salt…
And pepper, then whisk the white sauce and let it cook until it starts to thicken, about 2 to 4 minutes or so.
Add a good amount of Parmesan…
And the grated Mozzarella (or Monterey Jack.)
Stir it around until the cheese melts, and if it seems overly thick, splash in a little chicken broth until it gets to the consistency you want. It shouldn’t be overly gloopy, but it does need to be thick enough to coat the pasta.
Add the artichokes…
And add some cayenne pepper for a nice kick.
Oh dear mercy goodness lawsie mercy me. I could just stick a fork in the pot, polish off all the artichokes, and call it a day.
But I shan’t. For there is much left to do.
Add the drained pasta to the pot…
And stir it in with the artichokes. Again, if it seems overly thick/gloopy, a splash of chicken broth is your friend.
Then add in the lusciously delicious garlic buttery spinach.
And gently fold it in.
Sprinkle in some crushed red pepper and stir it a bit…
Then pour it into a serving bowl.
For a nice crunchy texture, sprinkle the top with a bunch of seasoned breadcrumbs!
You know what? I originally planned to bake this at this stage…but I couldn’t figure out any reason to do so!
Plus, I was ravenous. I wanted to eat, man.
Oh! And here’s a bonus: It was at this point that I realized I’d completely forgotten to add the cream cheese.
And guess what? I didn’t miss it one bit. Might add a little richness and creaminess, but it had plenty of that going for it. It was so unbelievably good. Everything that’s marvelous about spinach artichoke dip…but with pasta.
Enjoy this, guys! Make it for friends sometime. They’ll come over again and again.
(Whether or not you consider that a good thing is outside the scope of my expertise.)
Here’s the handy dandy printable:
