Artichoke Dip Mac and Cheese

Fill a mixing bowl with water and the juice from one lemon. Cut the stem from an artichoke and pull off the green leaves. Continue removing layers of leaves until you reach the layer that is very pale green in color. Cut off any remaining stem. Place the artichoke heart immediately into the lemon water to help prevent it from turning brown. Repeat with all of the artichokes. Before you add them to the mixture below, drain off the water.

Boil a large pot of water. Salt the water and add the macaroni. Cook according to package instructions for al dente, about 8 minutes. Then remove from heat and drain pasta. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Saute the garlic and onions until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the (drained) baby artichoke hearts and season with salt and pepper. Cook for a few minutes more, until artichokes are also softened. Turn the heat to low. Puree the vegetables using an immersion hand blender (or pour into a food processor, puree, and then pour back into the saucepan). Add the Neufchatel, milk and nutmeg. Stir to combine. Turn off the heat. Add the Monterey Jack cheese and 1/3 cup of the Parmesan. Stir until all the cheese has melted into the artichoke mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the cooked macaroni. Pour into a large casserole dish (I used a large oval baking dish).

In a bowl, combine the Panko crumbs, 2 tablespoons Parmesan and 1 teaspoon olive oil. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the artichoke macaroni. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until breadcrumbs turn golden and crisp. Serve.