Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Cheesy Baked Pasta with Spinach and Artichokes

From: Real Simple

Ingredients:
8 oz mezzi rigatoni
1 14-oz can artichoke hearts, rinsed and quartered
1 9-oz package frozen creamed spinach, thawed
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
pepper



Cook the pasta according to the package directions, drain, and return it to the pot. Heat broiler.

Add the artichoke hearts, spinach, Parmesan, half the mozzarella and 1/4 tsp pepper to the pasta and toss to combine.



Transfer the mixture to a shallow 2-quart (or 8-inch square) broilerproof baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella. Broil until the cheese is browned in spots, 2 to 3 minutes.


What I did differently from the recipe:
Instead of using creamed spinach I just used chopped spinach. Other than that, I didn't change anything.

What I'll do differently next time:
Nothing.

Verdict:
Neutral. I actually love spinach and artichoke in dips, but I kind of thought the artichoke flavor was a bit too much in this recipe. To be honest, I would have been happy if it was just pasta, cheese and spinach! It definitely didn't taste bad, it just wasn't really my cup of tea.

$$:
This was a very inexpensive meal! The artichoke hearts were the most expensive - around $4, but it still came out to less than $1 per serving.

Printable version:

Ingredients:

8 oz mezzi rigatoni
1 14-oz can artichoke hearts, rinsed and quartered
1 9-oz package frozen creamed spinach, thawed
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
pepper

Cook the pasta according to the package directions, drain, and return it to the pot. Heat broiler.

Add the artichoke hearts, spinach, Parmesan, half the mozzarella and 1/4 tsp pepper to the pasta and toss to combine.

Transfer the mixture to a shallow 2-quart (or 8-inch square) broilerproof baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella. Broil until the cheese is browned in spots, 2 to 3 minutes.

2 comments:

'Tracey Garner said...

I found artichoke hearts at Dollar General for 1.25 a jar. It is a small jar, but I love them in salads and on sandwiches.

Amanda said...

Good to know! I will use those in the future. Thank you!