Spinach and Artichoke Mac and Cheese

TiaZia's Note:

Rachael Ray Show. Its like Spinach and Artichoke Dip, but mac and cheese.

• Total Time: 50 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 1 lb penne or 1 lb whole wheat penne
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 2 cups milk
• 1 few grates fresh nutmeg
• 1 (10 ounce) box frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and wrung dry in a kitchen towel
• 1 (10 ounce) box frozen chopped artichokes, defrosted and wrung dry in a kitchen towel
• ground black pepper
• 1 1/4 cups shredded italian Fontina cheese, plus additional for sprinkling on top
• 1 1/4 cups grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese, plus additional for sprinkling on top

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Place a large pot of water over high heat to cook the pasta. When the water is boiling, salt it well and drop the pasta inches Cook to al dente according to package directions. Drain the pasta and reserve.
3. While the pasta is cooking, place a medium pot over medium-low heat with 2 turns of the pan of EVOO, about 2 tablespoons, and the butter. Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook the veggies until very soft, about 10 minutes.
4. Turn the heat up to medium-high and sprinkle the flour into the pan. Cook for about 1 minute then whisk the wine into the pan, cooking for another minute to burn off the alcohol. Whisk the milk into the pan and bring up to a bubble. Add the nutmeg, veggies, some salt and pepper to the sauce, and simmer until thickened, 2-3 minutes. Add the cheeses to the sauce and stir until melted.
5. Toss the prepared sauce with the cooked pasta and transfer to a casserole dish. Sprinkle some more Fontina and Parmigiano over the top and bake until the cheese has melted and the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.
6. Toss the prepared sauce with the cooked pasta and transfer to a casserole dish. Sprinkle some more Fontina and Parmigiano over the top and bake until the cheese has melted and the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Reviews

[MalibuMermaid]

Good base idea, but as a maker of many homemade macs and cheese, the liquid proportions were off for the amount of pasta called for. i would double the milk/flour and add some more cheese -- there just wasn't enought to thoroughly coat the pasta. when i make a hearty mac and cheese, it usually seems like you have TOO much sauce...i could tell from the get-go that this was going to be a bit dry. flavors overall were good...i like a little crunch and texture on top so i combined about 4 tbs melted butter with about a 1/2 c ea of panko bread crumbs and parmigiano and sprinked it over the top over the extra fontina. was a nice touch and made it more mac and cheese rather than just a dry pasta dish. i followed this verbatim and i am a seasoned cook, so curious if others feel the same... ALSO -- it says this serves FOUR (!!!!)...this makes me think that maybe she intended 1/2 pound of pasta instead of 1 pound. mine made a HUGE casserole dish fit for 8 hearty portions...4 portions from my pan would have meant sure cardiac arrest!!! caught a few errors in her recipe when making it, so just makes me question things...oh, and it was much better as leftovers today...nucking a portion for a minute with saran wrap seem to put some much needed moisture back into it...really enjoyed it much more with coffee in the am than i did last night with easter dinner...my daughter is a vegetarian so i always try and have something she can enjoy (no ham for her!) and that others can try...

[RavenousRaven]

I love artichokes and cheese. This is to die for. I had to make this after I saw it on the Rachel Ray show. Its like mac and cheese for adults.

[Munki]

I too saws this on RR and couldn't wait to try. I used cavatappi pasta instead and once had to sub a mild unaged gouda instead of fontina (too expensive). My hubby also loved this and he claims to dislike artichokes. great along side roasted chicken.