Common Cuisine |

This recipe felt rather labor intensive, but everyone at the dinner table agreed, it was well worth the effort and should become a regular part of the lineup! One tip I can offer for cost is to look for non-perishable ingredients and stock up on them when they are on sale; I figure I could have saved about 40% had I shopped more carefully. We served it with salad and whole-clove-roasted-garlic artisan bread. Yum!

• 1 10-oz box frozen spinach
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 sm onion, peeled and halved
• 1 C chicken stock (broth)
• 1 C heavy cream
• 1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 14-oz can artichoke hearts, packed in water, drained and chopped
• A couple of handfuls grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1 pound cheese tortellini

Bring a large pot of water to a boil to cook the pasta. Microwave the spinach on high for 6 minutes to defrost.

Heat a deep skillet over medium heat with the olive oil and butter. When the butter melts and is hot, add the garlic. Using a box grater, grate the onion directly into the skillet. Saute the onions and garlic for 5 minutes. Sprinkle the flour into the skillet and cook for 1 minutes. Whisk in the broth, then the cream, and bring the sauce to a bubble. Season the sauce with nutmeg and reduce the heat to low.

Place the defrosted spinach in a clean kitchen towel and wring it dry. Separate it as you add it to the sauce. Stir in the chopped artichokes and a couple handfuls of cheese, then season the spinach-artichoke sauce with salt and pepper.

Salt the boiling water and cook the tortellini according to package directions, about 3 to 5 minutes. Drain it well and toss with the spinach-artichoke sauce. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Taken from: Express Lane Meals: A 30-Minute Meal Cookbook. Rachael Ray. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, 2006.