Sunny Spinach Artichoke Dip

By Carolanne

This recipe is adapted from the cookbook "Sprouted Kitchen" by Sara Forte (Ten Speed Press, 2012).

Ingredients

• Olive oil
• 8 cups baby spinach (about 24 ounces)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 1/4 cups canned cannellini (white kidney) beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 1 1/2 cups jarred or canned artichoke hearts, chopped
• Large handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• Crudités, baguette slices or crackers, for dipping

Details

Servings 12
Preparation time 25mins
Cooking time 45mins
Adapted from jsonline.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 12-inch cast iron skillet or similar-size baking dish with olive oil.
In a large pot, steam the spinach with a small amount of water until just wilted (no longer dry-looking), 1 to 2 minutes.
Transfer spinach to a colander to drain. Once cool, place spinach in cheesecloth or sturdy paper towel and squeeze out as much liquid as possible, then roughly chop and set aside.
Combine garlic, beans, lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, red pepper flakes, oregano, sea salt and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Puree using an immersion blender, or use a food processor.
Fold chopped artichokes, drained and chopped spinach, chopped parsley and half of each of the cheeses into the bean puree. Transfer mixture into prepared skillet and spread out evenly with a spoon.
Top with remaining cheese.
Bake in preheated oven until cheese is just browned and bubbly, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and garnish with chopped parsley.
Serve hot with the crudités and bread and/or crackers.
Tip: This dip can be prepared up to a day ahead, refrigerated and baked just before serving. Increase cook time by about 5 to 10 minutes if baking directly from fridge.