Cavatappi with Artichokes and Three Cheeses

Move over macaroni and cheese! Cavatappi is an elongated elbow macaroni with ridges which help the cheese sauce to stick to this corkscrew-style pasta. A super easy meal to make in 30 minutes, start to finish! Artichokes are an excellent source of magnesium, folic acid, fiber and vitamin C. Canned artichoke may be the easiest to find and keep the best, but it will have the lowest level of nutrients when compared to the fresh or frozen artichoke. An artichoke is naturally fat free and very low in calories.

Serves 4
recipe adapted from Fine Cooking
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1 lemon
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped shallot
1 9-oz. package frozen artichoke hearts, cut into 1/4-inch slices while frozen
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 cup thinly sliced chives
2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh mint leaves
12 oz. cavatappi
1/2 cup (4 oz.) mascarpone
1/2 cup mild goat cheese
1/2 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano (plus more for serving)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. From the lemon, grate 1 1/2 teaspoons of zest and squeeze 1 tablespoon of juice; set aside. Heat the butter and oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat until the butter has melted. Add the shallot and cook until just softened (about 3 minutes). Increase the heat to high and add the frozen artichokes, red pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook until the artichokes are golden brown (3-4 minutes). Remove from the heat and stir in 3 tablespoons of the chives, mint and lemon zest.

Meanwhile, cook the cavatappi according to package directions until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the water. Return the pasta to the pot and stir in the mascarpone, goat cheese, pecorino, lemon juice and 1/4 cup of the water until smooth. Gently stir in the artichoke mixture and add more water if necessary to moisten the pasta. Season to taste. Serve sprinkled with the remaining chives and additional pecorino.

The Culinary Chase’s Note: I love the subtle bite of the red pepper flakes along with hints of lemon and mint coming through this cheese pasta. If you can’t find cavatappi then try elbow macaroni, farfalle, and fusilli.

By The Glass Wine Tasting Note: Riesling may have once been regulated to Mac N’ Cheese status thanks to the overly manipulated, mass produced versions that emerged from Germany in the 1970s but the varietal is undergoing a renaissance. Much like how chefs are creating gourmet dishes using the comforting ingredients of macaroni and cheese as inspiration, winemakers are retooling Riesling to be fresher, drier and more balanced. For this dish look to dry styles such as Alsatian dry Rieslings (Trimbach, Zind Humbrecht), Austrian versions or an ever increasing selection of quality dry and off-dry Rieslings from Ontario including the solid wines made by Caves Spring and Thirty Bench. Try Charles Baker’s Piccone Vineyard Riesling as an example of a benchmark Niagara Riesling.