If you don't want to bother with pancetta, you can use cooked bacon in it's place, or seasoned and precooked, bite-sized pieces of chicken, or even cooked and seasoned beef, maybe ground, or in small meatball form.
I would also add garlic and onion powders to my cheese sauce.
And, you can use fresh spinach, if you prefer. Just cook it first, and remove extra liquid from it.
⦁ 1 package (16 ounces) rigatoni
⦁ 8 ounces sliced pancetta, chopped
⦁ 3/4 cup butter, cubed
⦁ 1/2 cup chopped onion
⦁ 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
⦁ 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
⦁ 3/4 teaspoon pepper
⦁ 5-1/4 cups 2% milk
⦁ 4 cups shredded Italian cheese blend
⦁ 1 can (14 ounces) water-packed artichoke hearts, rinsed, drained and chopped (optional)
⦁ 1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
⦁ 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 375°.
Cook rigatoni according to package directions.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook pancetta over medium heat until crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels. Discard drippings; wipe skillet clean.
In same pan, heat butter over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook and stir until tender. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until blended; gradually whisk in milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir until thickened, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese blend until melted.
Stir in artichokes, spinach and pancetta. Drain rigatoni; add to cheese sauce. Transfer to a greased 13x9-in. baking dish; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Bake, uncovered, until golden brown and bubbly, 20-25 minutes.
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