Baked Pasta with Spinach and Artichokes

It feels like everyone I know, including myself, is infinitely busier in fall than at any other point in the year. The carefree days of summer are over, and there are a few months to buckle down and wrap up the year before the cheery break that is the holidays. The arduous slog is made worse by the decrease in daylight, as there are literally fewer hours in the day in which to get everything done.

Oddly enough, I kind of love this about fall. While I’m always seemingly extra busy, I appreciate those spare hours of free time so much more. That morning cup of coffee means more to me when it also doubles as a hand warmer against the brisk autumnal breeze.  What was a standard bedtime ritual during the summer, reading before bed*, has now become a luxury, and I look forward to it all day long.

Being extra busy also means that dinners lean heavily towards the “comfort food” territory. For me, that obviously involves cheese and carbs. While a traditional mac and cheese would certainly have filled my requirements, I decided to create a pasta version of one of my favorite dips: spinach and artichoke dip. (Don’t even try and get between me and spinach-artichoke dip. Homey don’t play.)

While the original recipe for the pasta calls for frozen creamed spinach, (un)fortunately, I couldn’t find that at Whole Foods, so I made the creamed spinach myself. If you’re short on time, you can try the frozen (thaw it first), but making the spinach yourself takes barely 10 minutes and is so. friggin. delicious.

I also added a good amount of red chili flakes, to wake the whole dish up. The resulting baked pasta with spinach and artichokes is a mess of cheesy goodness, creamy and rich but somehow not overwhelming — it’s like the presence of green things makes it feel less like a caloriffic bomb.

*I’ve just started The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society, and I’m riveted. A friend recommended it to me two (!!!) years ago and I’m kicking myself that I didn’t pick it up sooner.

Baked Pasta with Spinach and Artichokes
Baked pasta adapted from Real Simple; creamed spinach adapted from Eating Well

For the creamed spinach:

– 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

– 2 cloves garlic, minced

– 10 ounces fresh spinach, tough stems removed

– 1 tablespoon butter

– 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

– 1/2 cup skim milk

– 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

– salt and pepper, to taste

1) Heat oil in a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until lightly browned. Add spinach and cook until just wilted, tossing frequently.

2) In a small saucepan, heat butter on medium-high heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring, until the roux is bubbly and smooth, about 30 seconds.

3) Add the milk, nutmeg, salt and pepper, and whisk constantly until the roux is thick, about 1 minute. Stir the wilted spinach into the sauce.

For the baked pasta:

– 8 ounces rigatoni or other short pasta (I used whole-grain because that’s all I had)

– 1 14-ounce can artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed and quartered

– creamed spinach (from above)

– 1/4 cup shaved Parmesan

– 2 cups (8 ounces) fresh mozzarella, torn into small pieces

– 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes

– salt and pepper, to taste

1) Cook the pasta according to the directions on the box. Set aside.

2) In a shallow 2-quart broilerproof baking dish, mix the artichoke hearts, creamed spinach, Parmesan, 1/2 of the torn mozzarella, salt, pepper and chili flakes. Toss the pasta in and combine well.

3) Preheat the oven to 425ËšF. Top the baking dish with the remaining half of mozzarella, then bake for 15 minutes, until the cheese has melted. Then broil for 2-3 minutes to brown the cheese.

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