After watching numerous videos on ‘spinach artichoke dip’ or ‘spinach artichoke bread’, I jumped on the bandwagon and decided to make a spinach and artichoke pasta bake.

Cheese and spinach I love, so that wasn’t a problem. However, I had never tried artichokes until having this dish. I was a little bit hesitant, but after giving this new veg a taste, it made a great addition. I can understand why everyone loves the spinach and artichoke combination now!

This dish is really simple to make and lends from my Turkey and Bacon Pasta recipe. I added vegetable stock, cream cheese, cheddar, and parmesan to make a flavourful and creamy cheese sauce.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 250g pasta of your choice (I used wholewheat fusilli)
• 150g baby spinach
• 1 can (400g) artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
• 250ml milk
• 1 1/2 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp flour
• 1 vegetable stock cube (I prefer Knorr)
• 30g grated parmesan
• 2 tbsp light cream cheese (I used Philadephia Light)
• 100g grated mature cheddar (use 40g for topping)
• 1 tsp season-all
• 1 tsp ground garlic
• 1/2 tsp paprika (for topping)
• 1 tsp black pepper (1/2 tsp for topping)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan)/ gas mark 4.
2. Boil the pasta according to packet instructions, but remove from the heat 2 minutes before the suggested time.
3. On a low heat, melt the butter in the pan and then add the flour. Stir for 2 minutes until the mixture becomes a smooth consistency.
4. Pour in a quarter of the milk at a time, then the stock cube, and stir until the mixture blends smoothly.
5. Add in the cream cheese, grated parmesan and cheddar, and stir until the cheeses melt into a smooth mixture.
6. Add the spinach, artichokes, season-all, ground garlic, paprika and black pepper into the pan. Stir into the sauce until the spinach wilts. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.
7. By now, the pasta should be cooked. Drain and add the pasta to the sauce, stirring until the pasta is covered evenly.
8. Pour the pasta into an oven dish, top with the cheddar, paprika, and black pepper, and bake for 15 minutes.
9. Enjoy!

Tip: If your sauce is too thick, add some milk. If it’s too thin, add more flour and cheese.