Spinach Artichoke Cheese Dip Recipe

Wilt and drain

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the fresh spinach in batches, cooking and stirring until wilted (about 2–3 minutes per batch).

Remove skillet from heat and transfer wilted spinach to a fine mesh sieve or clean kitchen towel. Press or squeeze vigorously to remove as much liquid as possible (this step is important to prevent a watery dip). Once cool, chop the drained spinach roughly and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the softened cream cheese and sour cream. Use a rubber spatula or hand mixer on low speed to smooth until homogeneous.

Fold in the chopped drained spinach, drained and quartered artichoke hearts, grated Asiago (reserve 2 tablespoons for topping if you like extra crust), grated Parmesan, shredded mozzarella, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Mix until evenly distributed.

Taste and adjust seasoning: add an extra 1/4 teaspoon salt or a squeeze more lemon if needed.

Transfer the spinach-artichoke mixture into a 1-quart (about 9-inch) oven-safe baking dish or small cast-iron skillet, smoothing the top. Sprinkle the reserved Asiago evenly over the top and drizzle or brush the 1 teaspoon olive oil across the surface to encourage browning.

Bake in the preheated 375°F (190°C) oven until the dip is bubbling at the edges and the top is golden brown, about 20–25 minutes. For a deeper browned top, switch the oven to broil for 1–2 minutes while watching closely to avoid burning.

While the dip bakes, brush piadini lightly with the extra-virgin olive oil (about 1 tablespoon total) and warm them. You can warm piadini in a dry skillet over medium heat 1–2 minutes per side until lightly toasted, or place them on a baking sheet and warm in the oven for the last 5 minutes of the dip's bake time. Cut into wedges for serving.

Remove the dip from the oven and let rest 3–5 minutes. Sprinkle chopped fresh parsley over the top if using. Serve hot with the warmed piadini wedges for scooping.

Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days; reheat in a 325°F (160°C) oven until warmed through, about 10–15 minutes.