Spinach and Artichoke Dip Pasta

I am happy to say that I am finally fully recovered from my sickness. I thought I had the flu but I guess it was more serious than that because I had all the flu symptoms without the sneezing and coughing, which freaked the hell out of me so I went to the doctor to get everything checked out. The doctor ran all these blood tests and threw out all these scary words like “mononucleosis,” “tonsillitis,” and “streptococcus” only to have me wait for 48 hours to tell me that I don’t have mono. He then couldn’t even rule out the other two infections since the blood work didn’t come back in time (of course!) but he thinks I had tonsillitis. Yeah, going to the doctor = not fun.

Anyway, let’s talk about this pasta. Now I’m not much of an artichoke person but when it comes to spinach and artichoke dip, I’m in heaven. And then when you turn that into a creamy cheesy pasta sauce and add thick, crisp bacon pieces, there is seriously nothing better. Jason and I both loved this, and we each had at least 2-3 servings the day we made this. Plus, this recipe is enough to serve an army so they’d be perfect to bring to work the next day!

So here’s how you make this:

Let’s first start with some bacon ends & pieces. Give the bigger pieces a good chop into bite-sized pieces.

Throw them onto a skillet…

and let them get nice and crisp.

Next we’ll sweat out some onions and garlic in a medium pot.

Then stir in the flour…

the chicken broth…

and then the milk.

Next we’ll add the spinach, artichoke, fresh nutmeg, salt and pepper. 

Then of course we’ll add the cheesy goodness, letting it get nice and smooth.

Finally, we’ll add the cooked penne and bacon we made earlier.

Give it a good stir, being sure to sample a few bites here and there.

Then throw all this into a casserole dish, top with more cheese and let it all melt through under the broiler for about 3-4 minutes.

Now we eat!

One year ago: White Chocolate Chip Cappuccino Muffins

Bacon Spinach and Artichoke Dip Pasta (adapted from Taste and Tell):

Yields 6-8 servings

• 1 pound penne pasta
• 8 ounces bacon ends & pieces, chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 2 cups milk
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and drained
• 1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, chopped
• Few grates of fresh nutmeg
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 1/2 cups shredded pepper jack, divided
• 1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan, divided

Preheat the broiler. Lightly oil a 9x13 baking dish or coat with nonstick spray.

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well.

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the bacon and cook until brown and crispy, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; set aside.

Heat olive oil in a medium pot over medium low heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onions begin to soften, about 3-4 minutes.

Whisk in the flour until lightly browned, about 1-2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the chicken broth and cook, whisking constantly, until incorporated, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in the milk and bring to a simmer. Add the spinach, artichoke and nutmeg and stir until the sauce has thickened and the vegetables are heated through, about 2-3 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in 1 cup pepper jack and 1 cup Parmesan until smooth, about 1-2 minutes.

Stir in the penne and bacon.

Spread the penne mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining pepper jack and Parmesan.

Place into oven and broil for 3-4 minutes, or until golden brown.

Serve immediately.

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