Spinach Artichoke Dip Pasta

We've done several variations of spinach artichoke dip over the years. I thought we'd done a pasta before, but it's been a long time so we tried a new version. We really liked it, though it was strong on the lemon. If you're not a fan of lemon, you could leave that out.

• 1 box (13 oz) shell pasta
• 1 tsp butter
• 2 tsp minced fresh garlic
• 1 package (8 oz) reduced fat (but not fat free) cream cheese
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts, packed in water, drained and chopped
• 1 package (9 oz) frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry in a clean towel
• 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 1 cup chopped cooked chicken (optional)
• additional Parmesan for serving

Cook pasta according to package directions. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and add garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. 

Add the cream cheese and stir until melted. Slowly stir in milk, then add sour cream, lemon juice, salt, and red pepper flakes. Stir in artichoke hearts, spinach, Parmesan cheese and chicken. 

Drain pasta and add to artichoke mix. Toss and season to taste with salt and additional lemon juice as needed. Serve sprinkled with additional shredded Parmesan.  

NOTES: Doug and Tyler added more red pepper flakes. They said it was ok but didn't notice a huge difference by doing that. We also used chicken that was seasoned with Santa Maria seasoning. It worked out really well.

Serves 6

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

Recipe from HeatOvenTo350.com