The following recipe and excerpt for Spinach and Artichoke Ziti are from “By Heart: Recipes to Hold Near and Dear” by Hailee Catalano. It’s available for purchase on Amazon.
As I mentioned earlier, I hold dip culture very near and dear to my Midwestern heart. This pasta was inspired by the tried-and-true spinach and artichoke dip, but I didn’t want it to feel just like boiled pasta tossed with a creamy dip. I set out to make something less cloying, with a sense of freshness, all while staying true to that classic taste. It wouldn’t feel right if this cookbook didn’t include a bright-green-sauced pasta, ya know?
Spinach and Artichoke Ziti
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
- Place the artichokes, shallots, and garlic in a small baking dish. Drizzle with a little olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Arrange the garlic heads cut side down.
- Roast for 35 to 45 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the artichokes are golden and the shallots and garlic are soft. Let cool enough to handle and then squeeze out the garlic from the bulb.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Prepare a large ice bath.
- Add the spinach to the boiling water to blanch for 30 seconds. Immediately transfer the spinach with a slotted spoon to the ice bath to shock and cool. Squeeze out all the excess water from the spinach, and roughly chop. Set aside.
- Reduce the heat to low, and keep the pot covered for boiling the pasta later.
- Add the artichokes, shallots, garlic, 1/3 cup (80 ml) olive oil, and cold water to a blender. Blend (vented, in case the ingredients are very warm) on high until very smooth. Add the spinach, and blend again until very smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper.
- Increase the heat under the pot of water to high, and bring back to a boil. Heavily season with salt. Add the ziti, and cook according to the package directions until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving at least 2 mugsful of pasta water.
- Return the pasta to the pot, and set over low heat. Add the artichoke sauce, a couple of splashes of pasta water, and the pecorino Romano, and toss to combine.
- Add more splashes of pasta water as needed to thin the sauce so it coats the pasta evenly without being too thick. (You are looking for an elegantly coated pasta, not a gloppy one!) Season with more salt and pepper.
- Serve, topped with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, more pecorino Romano, panko, and lemon zest.
Dinner Recipes, Lunch Recipes, Pasta, Vegetarian
