This is a Rachel Ray recipe. It's definitely not my normal healthy recipe, but I love artichokes and this one caught my eye. It's kind of like spinach and artichoke dip made into a main dish. Frankly, I think the serving size is huge...if this makes four servings, then it's four linebackers. But it is quite tasty! I have adjusted it for the slight modifications I made.
Spinach and Artichoke Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
* Salt
* 1 pound semolina or whole wheat penne
* 2 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
* 3 tablespoons butter
* 1 medium onion, finely chopped
* 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
* 3 tablespoons flour
* 1/2 cup white wine
* 2 cups milk
* Freshly grated nutmeg, about 1/4 teaspoon or to taste
* 1 10-ounce box frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and wrung dry in a kitchen towel
* 1 10-ounce box frozen chopped artichokes, defrosted
* Salt and Black pepper to taste
* 1 1/2 cups shredded Italian Fontina cheese
* 1 1/2 cups grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
Yields: 4 servings
Preparation
Preheat oven to 375
Bring a large pot of water to a boil for pasta, salt water and cook pasta to al dente.
While the pasta water comes to a boil, place a medium pot over medium-low heat with 2 turns of the pan of EVOO, about 2 tablespoons, and the butter. Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook the veggies until very soft, about 10 minutes.
Turn the heat up to medium-high and sprinkle the flour into the pan. Cook for about 1 minute then whisk the wine into the pan, cooking for another minute to burn off the alcohol. Whisk the milk into the pan and bring up to a bubble. Add the nutmeg, spinach, artichokes, salt and pepper to the sauce and simmer until thickened and vegetables are warmed through, 2-3 minutes more. Add 1 cup of each of the cheeses to the sauce and stir until melted.
Toss the prepared sauce with the cooked pasta and transfer to a casserole dish. Sprinkle remaining Fontina and Parmigiano over the top and bake until the cheese has melted and the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.
