Veggie Mac and Cheese
Okay, it's official. Rachael Ray is my new favorite cook. She's just so personable, and her food is never too, too fancy. It may be kind of lame, but I try to plan my lunch hour so I can come home and watch her on TV.
This is one recipe I saw on the show a few weeks ago. As it's meatless, it definitely was one I wanted to try. Of course, we don't have fancy Fontina cheese here in Marshall, so I used all Parm. And, I did not broil the casserole for a whole 30 minutes; the top would have been burnt to a crisp! My only criticism is the whole nutmeg in white sauce thing. It was fine in the squash macaroni, but spinach and artichoke dip usually tastes tangy, not like cookies. So, next time I would leave it out.
Spinach and Artichoke Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
Salt
1 pound semolina or whole wheat penne
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup white wine
2 cups milk
Freshly grated nutmeg, about 1/4 teaspoon or to taste
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
Black pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded Italian Fontina cheese, plus additional for sprinkling on top
1 1/2 cups grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, plus additional for sprinkling on top
Preparation
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil for pasta, salt water and cook pasta to al dente.
2. While the pasta water comes to a boil, place a medium pot over medium-low heat with 2 turns of the pan of olive oil, about 2 tablespoons, and the butter. Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook the veggies until very soft, about 10 minutes. Then heat the broiler and position rack in the middle of the oven.
3. 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, spinach, artichokes, salt and pepper to the sauce and simmer until thickened and vegetables are warmed through, 2-3 minutes more. Add 1 cup of each of the cheeses to the sauce and stir until melted.
4. 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.
This is one recipe I saw on the show a few weeks ago. As it's meatless, it definitely was one I wanted to try. Of course, we don't have fancy Fontina cheese here in Marshall, so I used all Parm. And, I did not broil the casserole for a whole 30 minutes; the top would have been burnt to a crisp! My only criticism is the whole nutmeg in white sauce thing. It was fine in the squash macaroni, but spinach and artichoke dip usually tastes tangy, not like cookies. So, next time I would leave it out.
Spinach and Artichoke Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
Salt
1 pound semolina or whole wheat penne
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup white wine
2 cups milk
Freshly grated nutmeg, about 1/4 teaspoon or to taste
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
Black pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded Italian Fontina cheese, plus additional for sprinkling on top
1 1/2 cups grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, plus additional for sprinkling on top
Preparation
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil for pasta, salt water and cook pasta to al dente.
2. While the pasta water comes to a boil, place a medium pot over medium-low heat with 2 turns of the pan of olive oil, about 2 tablespoons, and the butter. Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook the veggies until very soft, about 10 minutes. Then heat the broiler and position rack in the middle of the oven.
3. 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, spinach, artichokes, salt and pepper to the sauce and simmer until thickened and vegetables are warmed through, 2-3 minutes more. Add 1 cup of each of the cheeses to the sauce and stir until melted.
4. 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.
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