Creamy Spinach and Artichoke Rigatoni

1. Boil Water

Fill a medium pot with water and add 2 teaspoons of salt per quart. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover with a lid and reduce the heat to low to keep it hot until you're ready to cook your pasta.

2. Sweat Aromatics

In a large pan over medium heat, add the butter and heat until it begins to foam. Once hot, add the onion and garlic with a pinch of salt. Cook together until softened and aromatic but not browned.

3. Cook Vegetables

In the same pan, add the artichoke hearts with another pinch of salt and cook for 2-3 minutes until hot and slightly softened.

4. Deglaze

Pour in the white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits. Reduce by 80%, allowing the alcohol to evaporate and the flavor to concentrate, about 3-4 minutes.

5. Add Cream

Pour in the heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Add a pinch of freshly ground black pepper and a pinch of nutmeg if desired. Stir occasionally and let the cream reduce slightly while you cook the pasta.

6. Cook Pasta

Bring the pasta water back to a rolling boil. Add the rigatoni and cook until al dente, about 1 minute less than the package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining.

7. Sauce Pasta

Add the drained pasta to the cream sauce, along with a quarter cup of the reserved pasta water to help the sauce coat the pasta evenly. If the sauce is too thick, add more pasta water a tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached.

8. Finishing Ingredients

Add the spinach to the pan and cook for another minute or two until wilted and bright green. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the microplaned Parmesan cheese and parsley until it's well incorporated and the sauce is creamy. If the cheese thickens the sauce too much, loosen it with a bit more pasta water as needed. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.