Fall Foliage -Halloween - the NYC Marathon - these are the signs of fall at this time of year in the Northeast. This recipe from Joy Bauer reminds me of all of these things and is it ever tasty!

First the colors - all red, green and golden in a swirling mix. The scary part is mostly in the preparation where the cook is asked to squish boiling hot cherry tomatoes that look and feel like a sea of red rolling eyeballs! Squish carefully or you’ll get a tomato juice squirt that will feel like it came from a cauldron.

Coincidently, our daughter is running in her first NYC Marathon this year! I could see this dish as a terrific pre-race, carbo-load dinner to power her through all 26+ miles.

I like dishes that have interesting combinations of things which is why I was particularly drawn to this recipe. Putting it together is pretty straightforward - it is essentially a single dish bake. While there are a couple of cooking stages, most of the ingredients should be readily available in your pantry. The one exception is the artichoke hearts.

I was in my mid 20’s when I was first introduced by Felicia’s family to the “artichoke ritual”. Each person at the table received a fist-sized, steaming artichoke with a side bowl of melted butter. I was then shown how to pull off each leaf, layer by layer, dip the soft end in the butter, and then use the tips of my front teeth to scrape off the soft flesh at the bottom of the leaf. While that was fun and very tasty, the real treat was getting to the soft “heart”, now exposed at the bottom of the artichoke. That forkful of artichoke heart dipped in warm butter was a revelation for me and solidified my seat at the family table for years to come.

While you could cook a bunch of artichokes, enjoy the leaves, and put aside the necessary amount of hearts for the recipe, it’s a lot quicker to purchase them separately. The spinach artichoke dip portion comes together easily by simply mixing all the ingredients in its own bowl. The first cooking stage is baking the dip and tomatoes together to get every thing soft and juicy.

After Bake #1 you very carefully squish the tomatoes, mix them in with the dip, and then toss in the cooked pasta. Mix it thoroughly, add cheese and seasoning, and let Bake #2 heat up the entire mixture.

It’s colorful…it’s good fuel….and it has a little bite :) Enjoy the foliage, the race, and all the tricks and treats. I’ll be back soon with something special for Thanksgiving! Enjoy.

Spinach Artichoke Dip Pasta Bake

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Total: About 50 minutes

Ingredients - Spinach Artichoke Dip (makes ~ 3 1/2 cups)

1 (10 oz) box of frozen, chopped spinach

3/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise or plain Greek yogurt

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 (14 oz) can/jar of artichoke hearts, rinsed, drained, and finely chopped

2 scallions (green onions) finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional for mild heat)

Ingredients - Full Pasta Bake

2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes (~ 4 cups total)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 cups Spinach Artichoke Dip

1/2 box penne, cooked and drained (For gluten-free, swap in Red Lentil or Chickpea pasta )

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, (optional for mild heat)

Grated Parmesan (optional - for garnish)

The Recipe

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees (F)

2. Add tomatoes to a 9 by 13-inch casserole pan or dish. Drizzle olive oil over the top and sprinkle on some salt and pepper. Mix tomatoes so they are well coated. Make a well in the center (sliding tomatoes to the outer perimeter) and add 2 cups of the prepared Spinach Artichoke Dip. (There will be plenty of dip left over)

3. Bake on the oven’s middle rack for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the tomatoes start to look puckered (some may slightly burst).

4. Remove the pan or dish from the oven. Using the back of a large, wooden spoon, carefully smash all the tomatoes (the juice will be scorching hot so take extra care to smash the tomatoes so they squirt away from you). Incorporate the smashed tomatoes into the spinach artichoke mixture to create a creamy sauce.

5. Add the cooked pasta, a few handfuls at a time, and mix until well-coated.. Garnish with extra Parmesan, optional herbs, and crushed red pepper flakes for heat. Serve immediately or place back in the oven for about 5 minutes to ensure it’s piping hot.

NOTE: Adopted from a recipe by Joy Bauer demonstrated on the Today Show. I made a gluten-free version by swapping in Chick Pea and Red Lentil pasta.