Recipes Provided By Rancho Gordo
One day, my coworker Celeste brought a bowl to work and casually said “I made a spinach, artichoke, and bean dip for everyone to try.” My heart leapt. I had just been wondering what I could snack on to get me through the midday slump. She heated it up and we just happened to have fresh bread from our favorite local bakery, West Won Bread. It was fantastic. If you bring this to a party, I promise it will get devoured. (It’s very easy to scale up for more people, by the way.)
Ingredients
- Oil or butter
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 10 ounces baby spinach
- 1 cup packed fresh basil
- 1½ cups drained cooked Rancho Gordo Mayocoba beans or white beans, plus ½ cup bean broth
- 6 ounces cream cheese
- 3 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 small jalapeño chile, seeded and chopped (optional)
- 1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and finely chopped
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 teaspoon Rancho Gordo Castillo Spanish Pimentón or other smoked paprika
- bread or baked chips, for serving
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 450°F and grease a 1-quart casserole with oil or butter.
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat; meanwhile, prepare a bowl of ice water. Stir the spinach and basil into the boiling water and cook until bright green, about 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and immediately plunge in the ice water. Drain and squeeze dry, then roughly chop.
In a food processor or blender, purée the beans and their broth, cream cheese, garlic, and jalapeño (if using) until smooth, scraping the sides as needed. Transfer to a large bowl and add the spinach and basil, along with the artichoke hearts, ¼ cup of the Parmesan, and ½ cup of the mozzarella. Season with the pimentón, ½ teaspoon salt, and black pepper to taste.
Spread the mixture in the prepared dish and top with the remaining Parmesan and mozzarella. Bake until golden and bubbly, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve warm with bread or baked chips.
