Creamy Pasta with Artichokes and Tomatoes

This was so good and so easy. I will most definitely be making this again and again.

I first saw this recipe on Lauren's blog (who got it from another blog but I did Lauren's version) and was immediately intrigued by it. I love pasta, artichokes and creamy sauces so I knew that this would be a winner.

Next time though I think I may add some pieces of chicken breasts. Alberto gave me the side eye and asked me where was the meat. A meal is not a meal for him if it doesn't have any meat. I thought it was great as is.

I apologize for the crappy picture. I forgot to take a nicer picture when it was nice and fresh. The pic below are the leftovers that ended up being my lunch the next day.



Creamy Pasta with Artichokes and Tomatoes Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• ½ whole Medium Onion, Finely Diced
• 1 can Artichoke Hearts (14.5 Oz. Quartered Or Whole) Drained (and briefly rinsed)
  
• 1 can Diced Tomatoes With Juice (14.5 Oz.)
• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• ½ cups Chicken Broth (More As Needed)
• ½ teaspoons Nutmeg
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• 1 pound tri-color rotini
  
• 1 cup Parmesan Cheese, Freshly Grated
• 2 Tablespoons Fresh Chives (or Other Herbs) Chopped

Cook pasta till al dente. Drain and set aside.

Melt olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and saute for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add artichoke hearts and tomatoes. Stir and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Stir in cream and chicken broth. Add nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste (do not under salt!) Cook over low heat until heated through, then turn off heat.

Place drained pasta in a large bowl. Sprinkle with 1 cup Parmesan. Pour sauce over the top. Add chives. Toss lightly to combine and coat; add a tiny bit of reserved pasta water if sauce seems too thick.

My verdict: This was so good. The only thing that I did differently was not use freshly grated Parmesan cheese. I only had the powdery stuff in the container. It was still good so I can only imagine how much better it would be if I had used freshly grated. Oh and I didn't add any fresh chives. I hardly ever have any on hand. If I were going to make this for guests then I'd add the chives.