Spinach & Artichoke Orzo

One of my sweet friends recently got engaged and asked me to be part of her bridal party. She did it in such a cute, Pinterest-y way that I just couldn't turn her down!

Plus, she's kind of a cool chick, too. 😉

The planning has already begun... engagement party, bridal shower, bachelorette... and, oh yeah, the wedding!

I had forgotten how much work it can take to get everything in order for a wedding. Steve and I got married over 4 years ago and I've since then suffered wedding amnesia. I think it was a defense mechanism from all the long-distance-planning, 180-person-guest-list, DIY-induced stress. {We were living in Texas at the time, but were getting married in Ft. Lauderdale.}

I'm really excited that the other girls in the bridal party are 1. Organized,  2. Nice, 3. Helpful, and 4. Are giving me complete control over the menu. Hehe.

We met up with the bride-to-be a few days ago to help her get her bearings and plan the food options for her upcoming engagement party. It can be really tough to feed people good things on a budget, so we started to brainstorm how we can get the most bang out of each buck without sacrificing quality and, of course, flavor.

Some of the things are going to be purchased pre-made so that it doesn't leave one individual running ragged the day of the party. I think that's just smart planning and is so worth putting a few extra dollars aside. But the girls and I volunteered to fill out the rest of the menu with our cooking services.

Since some of the menu items were already Italian foods, we decided to stick with the cuisine for ease of planning.

So... what's cheap, easy to make, delicious and simple enough to multiply for a crowd?

Pasta!

Specifically, orzo.

I started thinking of crowd pleasing party foods and immediately the idea of Spinach & Artichoke Dip popped into my head. Incidentally, the bride-to-be is not a fan of cold pasta salads; she'd rather pastas that are hot and rich... sort of like she prefers her men. Haha!

A simple garlic-infused Parmesan white sauce comes together in a snap, and one little box of orzo makes a GIANT bowl of pasta. Plenty for a crowd! The taste of this comforting dish reminded me of grown up Mac & Cheese. Mmm.

Just a taste for me, please. I've got a bridesmaid dress to squeeze into! 😉

Spinach & Artichoke Pasta

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
2 cloves garlic, smashed {but not into tiny pieces so that they're retrievable}
½ cup grated Parmesan
½ cup quartered marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
4-5 cups {2 huge handfuls} fresh spinach
1 ⅓ cups orzo pasta
Salt & pepper to taste

1. Cook orzo in salted water according to package directions. Leave slightly al dente.

2. Meanwhile, in a deep skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter and olive oil together. Add flour, whisking constantly. Whisk until flour is incorporated into butter and oil {try not to have any lumps}.

3. While whisking, pour in milk. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Drop in smashed garlic cloves and allow to simmer lightly until sauce starts to thicken, about 4-5 minutes. Remove garlic cloves and discard.

4. Add in Parmesan and stir until smooth. Add artichoke hearts and fresh spinach, and fold in gently until spinach leaves are coated with sauce and begin to wilt. {Taste and season to desired saltiness. Remember, the salted pasta water will add some extra salt, too, so don't overdo it.}

5. Strain cooked orzo and put in a large serving bowl. Pour in a bit of sauce at a time until desired "sauciness" is reached. This made enough pasta to use all of the sauce when I made it.

6. Sprinkle with extra cheese if desired.

Serve hot. {Keep covered if not serving right away, sauce and starchy pasta tend to get very sticky together once cooled.}

Serves 6-8 depending on serving size. For a larger group, multiply recipe.