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
- Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan)/ gas mark 4.
- Boil the pasta according to packet instructions, but remove from the heat 2 minutes before the suggested time.
- 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.
- Pour in a quarter of the milk at a time, then the stock cube, and stir until the mixture blends smoothly.
- Add in the cream cheese, grated parmesan and cheddar, and stir until the cheeses melt into a smooth mixture.
- 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.
- By now, the pasta should be cooked. Drain and add the pasta to the sauce, stirring until the pasta is covered evenly.
- Pour the pasta into an oven dish, top with the cheddar, paprika, and black pepper, and bake for 15 minutes.
- Enjoy!
Tip: If your sauce is too thick, add some milk. If it’s too thin, add more flour and cheese.
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