1/4teaspoonsea saltplus 2 tablespoons for the pasta water
1/8teaspoonblack pepper
1/4teaspoonred pepper flakesoptional
1/4cupmilk
28ouncesartichoke heartsdrained, cut into bite-sized pieces
10ouncesfrozen spinachthawed and drained
8ouncesmozzarella cheesefreshly shredded
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and bring a large pot of water to a boil with 2 tablespoons of salt. Lighly grease a 9x13 baking dish or large casserole dish with butter.
Boil the penne pasta for 2 minutes less than the package recommends. (The pasta I used called for 12 minutes so I boiled them for 10). Reserve 1/2 cup of the water then drain the pasta.
Meanwhile, mix together the cream cheese, sour cream, mayo, parmesan, garlic, salt, pepper, and (optional) red pepper flakes. Add the milk and mix until everything is well combined.
Gently mix the chopped artichoke hearts and drained spinach into the cream cheese mixture.
Add the drained pasta to the spinach artichoke mixture and stir until everything is well combined.
Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of pasta water and toss together. The pasta water helps to keep the sauce creamy but it shouldn't be watery.
Evenly distribute the mozzarella cheese over the top of the pasta.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and lightly browned and the edges are bubbling.
Notes
Freshly shredded mozzarella will melt better than preshredded.
For deeper browning on top, broil the pasta for 1 to 2 minutes at the end of baking. Just be sure to watch it so that it doesn't burn.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.