Although artichokes are delicious, don’t try to take down a fresh one. Even chefs have a hard time with them. Instead, use the best quality canned or jarred artichokes you can find. Just stay away from oil-packed artichokes, unless you want to turn this classic dip back into a high-fat dish. Using water-packed artichokes gives us wiggle room to use astonishingly tasty Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4

　　16 thin slices whole-wheat baguette (about 1/6-inch thick)

　　Salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　One 14-ounce can quartered artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped

　　3 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

　　3/4 cup Rocco’s Magnificent Mayonnaise (page 200) or store-bought low-fat mayonnaise such as Hellmann’s Low-Fat Mayonnaise Dressing

　　3/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

　　2 large garlic cloves, minced

　　Pinch of crushed red pepper

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 450˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

　　

Step 2

Lay the baguette slices on the prepared baking sheet, and season them to taste with salt and pepper. Bake until the bread slices are golden brown and crisp, turning them once, about 6 minutes.

　　

Step 3

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the artichoke hearts, spinach, mayonnaise, cheese, garlic, and crushed red pepper. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

　　

Step 4

Remove the baking sheet from the oven (leave the oven on), and set the baguette slices aside.

　　

Step 5

Spread the artichoke mixture in an 8 × 8-inch baking dish. Bake for 10 minutes.

　　

Step 6

Turn the broiler to high and broil the dip—watching it carefully—until it is golden and bubbly, about 2 minutes. Serve the dip with the toasted baguette slices.

　　

nutrition information

Step 7

Fat: 77g (before), 9.5g (after)

　　

Step 8

Calories: 930 (before), 263 (after)

　　

Step 9

Protein: 11g

　　

Step 10

Carbohydrates: 31g

　　

Step 11

Cholesterol: 22mg

　　

Step 12

Fiber: 4g

　　

Step 13

Sodium: 1,153mg

　　Now Eat This by Rocco DiSpirito. Copyright © 2010 by Rocco DiSpirito. Published by Random House Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Hailed as the "Leading Chef of his Generation" by Gourmet magazine, Rocco DiSpirito received the James Beard Award for his first cookbook, Flavor. He went on to author Rocco's Italian-American (2004), Rocco's Five Minute Flavor (2005), Rocco's Real-Life Recipes (2007), and Rocco Gets Real (2009). DiSpirito also starred in the Food Network series Melting Pot, the NBC hit reality series The Restaurant, and the A&E series Rocco Gets Real.