Baked Artichoke Pasta featuring Greek Goddess Spice Blend

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb. rigatoni, farfalle or other short pasta
• 2 tbsp. grapeseed oil, plus more for serving
• 1 large bunch scallions, thinly sliced, whites and greens
• 6 cloves Chef Laura’s Roasted Garlic, mashed with a fork
• 2 tbsp. Chef Laura’s Greek Goddess spice blend
• ¼ tsp. red-pepper flakes, plus more for serving
• 8 ounces cream cheese (1 cup)
• 2 (14-ounce) cans artichoke hearts (not marinated), drained and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 cups fried onions
• 6 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese (1 and 1/2 cups)
• 1 cup chopped parsley
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Garnish (optional)
  Fresh parsley

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees and bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until 3 minutes shy of al dente. Reserve 3 cups pasta water, then drain.
2. Meanwhile, in a large oven-proof skillet, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook scallion whites and onions until softened, about 5 minutes, then add roasted garlic.
3. Stir in Greek Goddess blend and red-pepper flakes, and cook for another 30 seconds.
4. Whisk in 1 1/2 cups pasta water, cream cheese and and simmer, whisking, until smooth. Stir in artichokes, 1 cup fried onions, the mozzarella, and then stir in cooked pasta and black pepper. Add more pasta water if it seems too dry; you want this to be fairly liquid, because the pasta will soak up the sauce as it bakes. Taste and add some salt if needed.
5. Top pasta with remaining cup of fried onions and the Parmesan. Bake until filling is bubbly and onions are browned, about 10 to 20 minutes.
6. Serve drizzled with grapeseed or olive oil. Add more red-pepper flakes on the side if you like and garnish with fresh parsley and the green part of the scallions.