no-boil spinach artichoke mac n’ cheese
Holy sheeeeeeeeeeeit.
Aight, I originally planned lasagna. If you read last week’s Sidebar you might have been keyed in on that plan. I’m learning more and more, though, if I wake up less than thrilled about a concept I initially considered, it’s probably best that I pivot and revisit the outline. So I did, at 4 am, and on my walk home after running.
I think my biggest holdup was time management. Lasagna is an undertaking, at least in the rendition I had originally written up. On this particular day I had a lot on my plate, both from a development standpoint and life (hello, laundry and grocery shopping) so lasagna didn’t feel like the right concept.
Then I landed on mac and cheese, and my brain buzzed with excitement. That’s when I know I’ve got something. The eagerness was undeniable. And the result?
See the first two words of this post.
Spinach and artichoke is a beloved classic marriage. Often in dip form, sometimes on pizza, unfailingly good. I pared down the whole mac and cheese shebang into a dish involving no boiling, no complex sauce-making, nothing more than stirring shit up in a bowl, dumping it in a dish, and baking it off until a luxe and creamy pasta results.
Yes. A Thursday mac and cheese night sounds apt. And if you’re hosting Easter and panicking about everything taking so much time, this is just perfect for you.
Mac Attack
First things first: the spinach. I use frozen spinach as it takes up less space than fresh, so your cheese-milk mix thing isn’t overwhelmed with the veggie. Be sure to thaw the spinach appropriately (if using a steam-in-bag variety like I did, let it cool before working with it) and squeeze out as much moisture as possible with paper towels. Wet spinach is sad spinach.
My favorite cut of pasta to use for this recipe is Delallo’s Shellbows. It might be my favorite overall anyway (not sponsored at all). The tubular pastas perfectly absorb all that cheesy dopehood this dish offers. Choose what pasta, you prefer most: I recommend shells or elbows, or even corkscrew. Long cuts like spaghetti won’t work so well here.
When you’ve got your pastas on hand, prepare your filling. Melt down some butter and stir in whole milk, a bit of water, Greek yogurt (you can also use sour cream), garlic powder, onion powder, and lemon zest. Lemon is key to a good spinach artichoke anything. Then, chop up some marinated artichokes – pictured is what I use, also not sponsored – and toss them in with spinach, Gouda, and mozzarella cheese. Stir it up, then fold the pasta in. Season generously with salt and pepper.
Dump into a lightly buttered 9 x 13 inch casserole dish, or a large skillet, and spread evenly. Be sure to submerge the pasta so it doesn’t get all hard and weird from baking. Cover up the dish with foil and start that baking process shit!
Oodles of Noodles
I tell you hwhat, your kitchen will smell like an Italian restaurant, with a bright lemony twist. Ooooooof.
Once the pasta is softened and the filling is hot and bubbly, remove the foil and sprinkle on your reserved mozzarella and gouda, as well as parmesan. Never. Too. Much. Cheese. It’s mac n’ cheese, after all, not mac-mac-and-L’Oreal (even though yup, you’re worth it).
Bake the pasta uncovered until golden, melty, and gooey, 10-15 minutes longer. Let it sit a few minutes, then enjoy it HOT and fresh.
All I really do for garnish is some fresh herbs, otherwise the flavors are bold and lush enough to enjoy on its own. Steam or roast some veggies, cook up some chicken or shrimp depending on your culinary leanings, and enjoy a huge bowl all to your fucking self.
Store your leftovers for up to 5 days in the fridge. I recommend adding a tiny splash of water when reheating to moisten things up.
Had a good day? Mac and cheese. Bad day? Extra portion of mac and cheese. No particular mood either way? Mac and cheese assures a better disposition.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Carb loading for no fucking reason whatsoever:
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Tomato Basil Orzo Pasta with Burrata
no-boil spinach artichoke mac n’ cheese
Ingredients
- 1 lb shell or elbow pasta (or shellbows)
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp butter, melted
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 10-oz bag frozen spinach, thawed and drained
- 1 12-oz jar martinated artichokes, drained and chopped
- 2 cups low-moisture mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1 1/2 cups gouda cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup fresh parmesan cheese, grated
- fresh basil and black pepper, to serve
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish with butter.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, 1 cup of water, yogurt, butter, lemon zest, garlic powder, onion powder, and a big pinch each of salt and pepper.
- With a wad of paper towels, squeeze as much moisture as you can out of the spinach. Add to the bowl along with the artichokes and half of the mozzarella and gouda cheeses. Stir, then fold in the pasta.
- Pour the pasta and milk mixture into the casserole dish and spread evenly. Make sure the pasta is submerged in the liquid. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 40-45 minutes until the pasta is soft.
- Uncover the dish. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and gouda, as well as the parmesan, overtop. Bake an additional 10-15 minutes until the cheese melts and bubbles. Unf. Let sit 5 minutes, then divvy up portions and top with fresh basil and black pepper. FUCKING ENJOY.
