Rebecca Nielsen's Recipe

Spinach & Egg Noodle Casserole

Category: Casseroles

Serves/Makes: 6 as a main dish 12 as a side
Difficulty: 2
Prep Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

2 10oz packages frozen chopped spinach
3 T Sorrento Lemon Olive Oil*
1 large vidalia onion chopped fine
2 large cloves minced
1 pound wide egg noodles
4 T butter
3 T flour
2 1/2 cups milk
1/2 t freshly grated nutmeg
3 egg yolks
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 cup grated gruyere cheese
2/3 cup grated pecorrino romano cheese
Kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper

Directions:

In a microwave safe dish, defrost spinach then wrap tightly in kitchen towel and squeeze all liquid out. In pasta pan bring water to boil, add 3 T kosher salt and cook noodles to al-dente. Drain and set aside.

In a medium skillet while pasta is cooking heat 2 T of the Sorrento Lemon Olive Oil. Saute onion and garlic till softened about 6 minutes, add spinach breaking apart with flat edged wooden spoon. Add salt and pepper to taste.

In a medium sauce pan melt butter and whisk in flour for a minute to cook out the raw flour taste. Add milk whisking constantly and add nutmeg; salt and pepper to taste.
Continue cooking and whisking until thickened about 6 minutes.

Turn oven to 450 degrees F.

In small bowl whisk egg yolks and add a little of the sauce to warm the yolks so they do not scramble. Whisk the yolk mixture back into the sauce and turn heat to low. Stir half of the cheese into the sauce. Add spinach then combine with noodles. Transfer mixture to buttered casserole dish.

Mix the other half of cheese with the panko bread crumbs and sprinkle over casserole. Drizzle with the other tablespoon of olive oil.

Bake in oven until topping is golden brown and middle of casserole is hot, about 10 minutes.

*Sorrento Lemon Olive Oil can be found at The Olive Tap in Long Grove, IL or online at theolivetap-dot-com

Cooks Notes: This dish is great for a meat free night or as a side dish.