5/11/11

Spin-Art Pasta


I was 19 the first time I tried it. It was during those experimental college years, where peer pressure makes you do things you wouldn't normally do. Things I wouldn't dream of doing now - like staying up past 11 for no reason, going to football games and taking a Country Western Social Dance class. (Actually that last one is a lie. I'd totally take it again if I could. It was completely fun and I'm not even that into country music.)

Another thing college introduced me to was all kinds of incredibly tasty and very bad-for-you foods, usually late at night. 

One of those foods was spinach artichoke dip.

My roommates were the ones who convinced me I needed to try it. "It's delicious," they said. "And good for you because it has spinach and artichokes in it." (I'm fairly certain that none of us had ever had a nutrition class.) I did try it, and of course, I loved it. What's not to love? It's creamy and cheesy with the tangy flavor of artichokes and the earthy flavor of spinach. You dip bread in it. What could be better than that? I was hooked.

For years I fed my addiction until the sad day when I calculated the calories in spinach artichoke dip. And cried. My roommates were completely wrong. It wasn't all that good for me. I hid my recipe for it and tried to forget I had ever tasted spinach artichoke dip. Then I had an epiphany after seeing a post from my friend Britney. It was a spinach artichoke casserole. Sheer genius, really. Since whenever I eat spinach artichoke dip I eat a meal's worth of it anyway, why not beef it up and actually have it for dinner? 

Anything with the word "casserole" in it doesn't fly with my husband (I think he can even sense when I'm thinking of calling something a casserole) so after brainstorming a bit I went a slightly different route and made pasta. I took a favorite spinach artichoke dip recipe, made it a little creamier and more "saucy" (Everything is better more saucy, isn't it?) and lightened it up slightly by substituting lower fat cream cheese and sour cream. The end result was bowl of pasta with a thick creamy sauce with plenty of tangy artichoke and earthy spinach flavor and less of the guilt. A spinach artichoke dish I could eat for dinner.

If only it were as easy to feed my craving for the cinnamon breadsticks with cream cheese dipping sauce I loved so much in college.




Spinach Artichoke Dip Pasta
HeatOvenTo350Published 05/11/2011

Spinach Artichoke Dip Pasta

Ingredients

  • 1 (13oz) box shell pasta
  • 1 teaspoon butter
  • 2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
  • 1 8 oz package reduced fat (not fat free) cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 14 oz can artichoke hearts (packed in water), drained and chopped
  • 1 9 oz package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry in a clean towel
  • 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup chopped cooked chicken (optional)
  • Additional Parmesan for serving

Instructions

  1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
  2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and add garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the cream cheese and stir until melted. Slowly stir in milk, then add sour cream, lemon juice, salt and red pepper flakes. Stir in artichoke hearts, spinach, Parmesan cheese and chicken (if using).
  3. Drain pasta and add to artichoke mix. Toss and season to taste with salt and additional lemon juice as needed. Serve with additional shredded Parmesan.
Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Recipe Source: adapted from allrecipes.com



11 Click For Comments:

Just have to say this pasta is amazing! I am making it for my birthday dinner tonight! And even with all its yumminess I calculated only 11 Weight Watchers points, yay!

I have made this several times. It is very good. I use marinated artichoke hearts from Aldi's and it's really good.

So glad you like it! Thanks for stopping by to let me know.

Making this for the second year in a row for the family's 4th of July party... so yum!!

I made today, for myself, for lunch. It was awesome.

I would love to make this for my eight card player girls for lunch! Can this be prepared the night before, chilled and baked the next day?

You know, I've never tried it but I think it would work. I would just bake it covered until it was heated through - maybe 20-30 minutes at 350?Let me know how it works for you if you do try.

Have you ever tried to freeze this for later? It sounds so delicious and I am wondering if it would be a good post baby frozen meal.

I hear you on the post baby meals. You're so smart to be preparing ahead of time. I have never frozen this and I'm not sure how well it would work. In general I haven't had luck with freezing pasta unless it is in lasagna, but that could be just me.

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