Spinach Artichoke Pasta

Spinach Artichoke Pasta

(recipe found on Rachael Ray...really called Spinach artichoke Mac n' cheese)

This is AMAZING! Seriously, if you love spinach artichoke dip, you'll love this dish!

Ingredients

• Salt
• 1 pound regular or whole wheat penne
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 cup white wine (didn't have white wine so we used chicken broth)
  
• 2 cups milk
• A few grates fresh nutmeg
• 1 box frozen chopped spinach (10 ounces), defrosted and wrung dry in a kitchen towel
• 1 box frozen chopped artichokes (10-ounces), defrosted and wrung dry in a kitchen towel
• Ground black pepper
• 1 1/4 cups shredded Italian Fontina cheese, plus additional for sprinkling on top ( we used half mozzarella and half swiss cheese. another option is fontina provolone)
  
• 1 1/4 cups grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, plus additional for sprinkling on top
• We added grilled chicken
  

Preparation

Pre-heat oven to 350ºF.

Place a large pot of water over high heat to cook the pasta. When the water is boiling, salt it well and drop the pasta in. Cook to al dente according to package directions. Drain the pasta and reserve.

While the pasta is cooking, 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, veggies, some salt and pepper to the sauce, and simmer until thickened, 2-3 minutes. Add the cheeses to the sauce and stir until melted.

Toss the prepared sauce with the cooked pasta and transfer to a casserole dish. Sprinkle some more Fontina and Parmigiano over the top and bake until the cheese has melted and the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.