Spinach Artichoke Pasta Bake

Makes 1 9x9 baking dish

Ingredients

1/2 package of penne pasta

Olive oil

1/2 cup diced onions

3 cloves of garlic, minced

4-5 cups fresh baby spinach

1 cup canned artichokes (not marinated, such as this), chopped

1 cup light cream cheese

1/4-1/2 cup reserved pasta water

2 cups grated white cheddar cheese, plus more to sprinkle on top

2 sprigs of thyme

Salt

Pepper

1. Cook the pasta until al dente (almost done). Reserve about 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Preheat the oven to 400F.

2. In a large pot, sauté the onions and garlic with olive oil for about a minute over high heat. Add the spinach and cook until wilted. Add the artichokes and cook for about 2 more minutes. Adjust the heat to medium. Add the cream cheese and reserved pasta water and stir until the cream cheese has melted. Add the cheddar cheese, thyme, salt and pepper. Mix and stir until a sauce forms. Add more pasta water if needed, to make the sauce creamier. Remove the thyme sprigs.

3. Add the pasta to the sauce mixture. Stir until combined. Pour the pasta into a 9x9 baking dish, and sprinkle some cheddar cheese on top. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the cheese has browned on top.