Spinach Artichoke "Dip" Pasta

Do you love spinach and artichoke dip as much as I do? I could pretty much eat it for a meal (and have on occasion), but when you make it in pasta form, you don't feel AS guilty since you CAN eat it for a meal. The Pioneer Woman does not disappoint with this recipe.
Is this the healthiest recipe ever? No. Is it super tasty and worth it? Yes absolutely!

What You Need:
~12 ounces penne pasta
~6 Tbsp of butter (see? I said it wasn't healthy)
~4 cloves minced garlic (or 2 tsp from jar)
~2 bags of baby spinach (I only did one for this recipe, but could see doing 2)
~2 cans artichoke halves drained and halved (or get quartered artichokes)*
~3 Tbsp flour
~3 cups whole milk (I used 2% and it was fine)
~1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
~salt/pepper to taste
~ 1 1/2 C grated parmesan cheese
~1 1/2 C mozzarella cheese (or monterey jack), grated
~1/2 C low sodium chicken broth
~1/2 C Panko bread crumbs, seasoned (I just used plain and added in some italian seasonings)
~Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste.
*When I make this dish again, I'm going to chop up the artichokes more than just in quarters so it's less chunky, and more artichoke throughout the pasta
What You Do:
1. Cook the pasta according to package directions, until al dente.

2. Melt 2 Tbsp of butter in a large pot or skillet, then add in the garlic and spinach. Stir until the spinach is wilted, then remove it from the heat, and set aside. 
3. Add 2 Tbsp of butter to the same pot/skillet and raise the heat to high. Add in the artichokes and stir them around until they brown up a little bit (~2 minutes or slightly more). Remove them from the skillet. 
*Mine didn't really "brown" after a few minutes, so I just removed them after that time and it was fine*

4. Reduce the heat to low and add in the last 2 Tbsp of butter. Once melted, add in the flour and whisk together. Pour in the milk, continuing to whisk and let it cook for 3-4 minutes, when it starts to thicken.
5. Add in the Parmesan and Mozzarella cheese, salt/pepper, and cayenne pepper. Stir until it melts together. Add in chicken broth if it's too thick (I did not need to add any in)
6. Fold in the artichokes and the pasta.  Then add in the spinach. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes (if desired) and Panko breadcrumbs for some crunchy goodness on top!
You could easily bake this dish so it all kind of cooks together a little bit more, but you don't have to. I didn't, and it was phenomenal as it was.
Enjoy!!

27 comments:

  1. I absolutely love The Pioneer Woman! This recipe looks so, so good!
    Sarah at MeetTheShaneyfelts

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  2. I LOVE spinach and artichoke dip. This pasta sounds delicious...and I love The Pioneer Woman!

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  3. I'm not the biggest fan of artichoke, but this has so many other things that I like that I need to try it! breadcrumbs on top - YUM! xo, Biana -BlovedBoston

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  4. I love spinach artichoke dip and this recipe looks so good! Pinning this one to try after I get back from Mexico. Thanks for sharing!

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  5. This looks like a great hearty meal for those cold winter nights when you want something that sticks to your ribs! Yummy!
    xo, Whitney and Blaire
    Peaches In A Pod

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  6. That looks so good! I love spinach and artichoke dip so it's got to be great as a pasta!

    Christina :: Simple and Delish

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  7. I definitely love spinach and artichoke dip! This sounds heavenly!

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  8. Umm why on earth had I never thought to turn a dip into a pasta dish?! This is such a great idea! And it looks delicious! <3, Pamela Sequins & Sea Breezes

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  9. i love how you turn one thing into another when it comes to meals. from the lasagna soup and now this - i am seriously drooling over here haha

    xoxo cheshire kat

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  10. I'm not sure Ree makes anything that is healthy and I have made this one before and Jason loves it.

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  11. My husband loves this dip so he would probably be a huge fan of a pasta version! Such a good idea!

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  12. YUM!! This sounds amazing, but duh - it's Pioneer Woman, she can do no wrong!

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  13. That looks so good and something we don't usually cook. I would love to change it up and try this!

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  14. Holy cow mouth is watering. I could eat pasta for every single meal and never get tired of it!

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  15. Sounds delicious! Huge fan of spinach and artichokes so have to try this!

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  16. Who cares if it's healthy? It looks delicious!

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  17. YES! I love spinach and artichoke anything, so I'll have to indulge when Ryan is at work during the week. Thanks for sharing!

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  18. Holy deliciousness!!! Spinach dip is one of my all time favs! Combine it with pasta and double yum <3
    Green Fashionista

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  19. I love the Pioneer Woman! She never disappoints! :)

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  20. I love spinach artichoke dip and pasta is my love language (ha!) - I must make this. Thanks for sharing!

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  21. Oh wow this looks so good and simple! Yum!

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  22. Y-U-M! I've been waiting for this since you posted the picture on Instagram!! I think I may have to give it a try this weekend!

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  23. oh my gosh yes. i love the dip, and i love pasta, so combine them? yes please!

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  24. A pasta inspired by a dip?! My kind of meal!! I'm with you I could seriously eat a whole dip for dinner. Love her recipes - we just did one last night!

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  25. Spinach artichoke dip is sooo good, my coworker brought leftovers to work yesterday and we cleaned the plate clear, so good!

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  26. This looks absolutely delicious! I love spinach artichoke dip so I'm sure this would taste amazing!

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