spinach dip pasta

Spinach Artichoke Dip is old news, I know.  But good ones -- homemade ones -- are still tasty.

And so if you take a tasty indulgence like that, and make it into a dinner?

Why yes, yes I will.

Spinach Artichoke Pasta

1 13-oz. box shell pasta
1 tsp. butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 8-oz. package reduced fat cream cheese (don't go totally fat-free)
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. reduced fat sour cream
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 14-oz. can artichoke hearts (packed in water), drained and chopped
10 oz. chopped, frozen spinach, thawed, drained
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
1 c. chopped cooked chicken (optional)
Additional Parmesan for serving

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.  *I used only about half the box of pasta, because I used more chicken and wanted to avoid the dried pasta conundrum.


2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and add garlic. *Burned garlic is the worst, so cook it just about 30 seconds, or even less.  Mine was popping, so next time, I might even start at more medium-low.


3. Add the cream cheese and stir until melted. Slowly stir in milk; then add sour cream, lemon juice, salt and red pepper flakes. Stir in artichoke hearts, spinach, and Parmesan cheese. *Remember that squeezing the mess out of the artichokes and spinach in a towel is the only way to drain these items.  Otherwise, you're asking for a watery disaster.


4. If you're using chicken, add that last. *I took a package of chicken tenders, chopped them up into bite-size pieces, salted and peppered, and sautéed ahead of time.  Nothing fancy.


5. Drain pasta and add to artichoke mix. Toss and season to taste with salt and additional lemon juice as needed. Serve with additional shredded Parmesan.

If you're like me, and love a good spin dip, but aren't interested in pounding down an entire bag of pita chips (and I would do it, too), this is worth a try.

Happy indulging!