Ingredients
- 1 box chopped spinach, 10 ounces
- 1 loaf ciabatta bread, (flat, rectangular or oval shaped Italian bread, 12 to 14 inches long and 8 inches wide – substitute focaccia loaf if ciabatta is not available to you)
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- 2 cups ricotta cheese
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley, a handful
- 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano or Reggiano, a generous handful
- 1 can artichokes, drained and sliced
- Salt and pepper
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella or Italian cheese blend available on dairy aisle in sacks
- The Big Dipper: Simple Marinara Dipping Sauce, recipe follows, optional
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Defrost spinach 6 minutes on high and wring the spinach dry in a kitchen towel.
Crust bread in oven for 5 or 6 minutes. Remove and split bread in half from end to end as if it were a large sandwich roll.
Turn broiler on. If your broiler is too small to place ciabatta breads under it, you can melt the cheese in oven as well, see below, it simply browns faster under broiler.
Drizzle hot bread with extra-virgin olive oil. Mix ricotta, garlic, parsley and grated cheese. Spread the mixture evenly over the bread halves then dot with the defrosted chopped spinach. Evenly distribute the sliced artichokes, season the breads with salt and pepper and top with an even layer mozzarella cheese. Melt and brown the cheese under the broiler 3 minutes, 1 rack down from the top of the oven. If you are using the oven rather than broiler, the cheese will take 6 or 7 minutes to brown. Cut into bread into wedges and serve. If desired, serve with Dipping Sauce.
The Big Dipper: Simple Marinara Dipping Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon anchovy paste, optional but recommended
- 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- Salt and pepper
Heat a small pot over medium heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, pepper flakes and anchovy paste. Cook 2 minutes. Add parsley, tomatoes, salt and pepper. Stir sauce, bring to a bubble and simmer 5 minutes over low heat then place in small bowl and serve.
Yield: 2 cups
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 7 minutes
Inactive Prep Time:
Ease of preparation: easy
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By ladydenis1_7234834
Columbia, SC
on March 01, 2010
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The combination altogether was very good. I like how she used bread instead of making the dough for the calzone. Love spinach and artichokes as well, but I thought there was too much ricotta. Instead of using 2 cups of ricotta I would use 1 cup. Otherwise, very tasty.
By kristin0006_105...
Chandler, AZ
on June 22, 2008
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I was really excited to make this because I love spinach and artichokes, but it didn't taste like I expected it to. If you decide to make this recipe, don't use as much ricotta cheese as this recipe suggests. It's way too much! It came out looking beautiful but it wasn't as good as it looked.
By bashorw_8859313
Williamston, SC
on June 16, 2008
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I thought looking at the recipe that it might be a little bland as some other reviewers also mentioned. I mixed the artichokes in with the ricotta mixture and also added some sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers and some fresh basil. I used fresh spinach and just layered it on top of the ricotta mixture. I also put some pepperoni on it for the kids' sake. I think the key is to season it well with what you like....s&p, herbs etc. It was a hit, even with a very picky eater in the house.
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