Nancy & Nancylanders: HELP! On today's (28 April 2009)
Rachael Ray Show, she gave a prize to someone who had sent
in a recipe for Spinach and Artichoke Mac and Cheese. She
showed a picture of the finished product and
It looked fantastic
and I'd really like the recipe or one similar. I went
on-line to the Rachael Ray Show and found a recipe with the
same title which aired on Feb 19, 2009, so it can't be the
same recipe. Also the pictures on-line were not the same as
the one shown on the show today. Does anyone in Nancyland
have a really good and TNT recipe for 'Spinach And Artichoke
Mac And Cheese'? I would dearly like the one that Rachael
gave the $500 prize for, but will gladly also accept any
that have been labeled a "KEEPER" by Nancylanders. Mr. Myron
Drinkwater - Lake Forest, CA
Spinach and Artichoke Mac and Cheese
Salt
1 lb small penne pasta
2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 Tbsp butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced or grated
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white wine
2 cups milk
A few grates fresh nutmeg
1 (10 oz) box frozen chopped spinach, defrosted *
1 (10 oz) box frozen chopped artichokes, defrosted *
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
* Drain the spinach and artichoke hearts and wring dry in a
kitchen towel. Then cut or tear the spinach and coarsely
chop the artichoke hearts.+
Preheat oven to 350º. 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 in. Cook to al dente according to
package directions. Drain the pasta and set aside. While the
pasta is cooking, place a medium pot over medium-low heat
and add the olive oil and the butter.
Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook, stirring often
until the onion is very soft, about 10 minutes. 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 and salt and pepper to taste to the sauce,
and simmer until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the cheeses to the sauce and stir until melted. 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, uncovered, until the cheese has
melted and the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings.
http://www.nancyskitchen.com
