Spinach Dip Pesto Pasta

The Spinach Dip with Artichokes, Cheese and Chiles was a winner, but my throw-everything-into-the-mix approach yielded a lot of that thick, spunky dip. Spunky? You know, a dip with attitude. The quantity might be a bonus when you host a party, but it's not so terrific when you are feeding a twosome. Now what? 

I used the peppy spinach dip as I might any pesto blend, adding it to a loose bechamel sauce along with pine nuts for a pasta topping. Mmmmm, yes! that made a pleasant pasta bowl for today's hot lunch, but now I'm eager to try an oven-baked version. Imagine a spinach pesto pasta macaroni and cheese sort of dish, with crisp, crunchy browned butter-tossed breadcrumbs on top. My taste buds are quivering in anticipation, but RL is losing his taste for spinach anything. OH! the fun I've had dealing with the challenge of that large, annoying 1-pound bag of frozen spinach.

Spinach Dip Pesto Pasta Sauce

(more suggestions than a recipe)

Prepare your standard béchamel sauce (white sauce); add a large handful of meltable cheese and heat to melt. Add more milk as needed to keep the mixture thin and loose. 

Add a cup or more of Spinach Dip with Artichokes & Chiles; stir over low heat until incorporated. Adjust taste and consistency as needed.

Toss with your favorite cooked pasta and a generous handful of toasted pine nuts. Serve in a warmed bowl or on individual warmed plates.