22 Jan Sriracha Spiked Artichoke Dip and Pasta Sauce

I feel like I was one of the first to jump on the Sriracha (AKA Rooster Sauce) band wagon. (obviously, I wasn’t, but c’mon—just let me think I was, ok?)

It was 2000.  I was covering the front of the house for a small, intimate upscale restaurant while the owners went on vacation.  As some restaurants do, the staff shares in post-shift meals each night. The kitchen team was made up of young, hilarious, hard-working men of Hispanic descent.  It was their custom, they taught me, to add Sriracha to virtually every single thing they put into their mouths. Vegetables. Tacos. Noodles of any kind and in this case, pizza. I gave them a what-the-what? look.  “You’ll like it–it’s like ketchup” they told me. Not wanting to look uncool, I took a big bite of the homemade cheese pizza topped with a hearty drizzle of the Sriracha sauce. 

I was hooked. 

Fast forward to 2015. Sriracha is commonplace in our kitchen. It’s uses are plentiful–use it in a tuna steak or chicken marinade, in turkey, beef or chicken burgers/meatballs, in scrambled eggs or migas, mix into hummus and the list goes on. Here’s the interesting thing about it.  I’ve found that only those with a well developed palate will be able to ID the ingredient that gives the dish that tangy, spicy, unique flavor. 

One of my husband’s favorite dishes is this Sriracha spiked artichoke dip.  It’s become a crowd favorite at an annual football watching party and I literally can’t enter the door to the house without the host asking “did you bring me my dip?”.  It’s been tweaked several times here and there over the years—but here’s the latest and greatest version.

Sriracha Spiked Artichoke Dip

2 cans artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped 

1/2 cup lite mayonnaise

1/2 cup 2 % Greek Yogurt

1 cup Parmesean cheese

1 T onion, chopped fine

1 generous squirt of Sriracha sauce (if you want to make it hotter, add more)

2 teaspoons smoked paprika plus enough for a very light dusting for garnish (I use hot paprika–can use sweet if desired)

Mix all ingredients well by hand or in a blender and bake in an oven safe baking dish at 350 until warmed through. Sprinkle with a light dusting of smoked paprika. Serve with hearty, fresh veggies such as broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, cucumbers or whole grain crackers. 

For my Recipe Redux recipe (our theme was Smoke and Spice) , I turned the dip in a faux alfredo sauce of sorts. Honestly, I let the blender whirl too long and my dip became more of a sauce. This is how the best recipes are made, right? BONUS:  You get two recipes in one post today! 

To make the pasta sauce, simply boil pasta according to package directions. Reserve about a cup of cooking liquid. Thin the artichoke sauce with the water to the desired consistency. Add to pasta and garnish with sun dried tomatoes, artichokes and Parmesean cheese. 

 As the first and only recipe challenge founded by registered dietitians, The Recipe ReDux aims to inspire the food lover in every healthy eater and inspire the healthy eater in every food lover. Thank you for visiting. We hope you enjoy!

 
What do you spike with Sriracha sauce?