You can caramelize the onions and toast the pine nuts ahead of time. Store onions in the refrigerator and pine nuts in an airtight container until ready to use.

Serves: 4; Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1 ounce pine nuts (about 1/4 cup)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups thinly sliced onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound chopped fresh or frozen spinach
12 ounces frozen artichoke hearts, defrosted
1-2 heaping tablespoons minced or crushed garlic
1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
3/4 pound small penne pasta
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Red pepper flakes to taste
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
Directions:

Toast pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium-low heat for about 2 minutes or until golden and aromatic, stirring frequently to avoid burning. Set aside.
Place a deep large skillet or a Dutch oven over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add the oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add onions and saute for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, boil a large pot of water for the pasta. Add the salt to the onions and saute for 5 minutes longer, until the onions are very soft.
Stir in the spinach (if using frozen, defrost, thoroughly drain and squeeze out all the water first), artichoke hearts, garlic and broth, and heat to a boil. Turn the heat to low, cover and simmer gently while the pasta cooks. Cook the pasta until just tender. Drain well, and transfer to the skillet. Stir and cook over low heat for about 5 minutes.
Serve topped with black pepper, red pepper, Parmesan cheese and pine nuts.
Nutrition Facts:

535 calories, 22% fat (13 g; 2 g saturated), 63% carbs (85 g), 15% protein (20 g), 12 g fiber, 219 mg calcium, 8 mg iron, 628 mg sodium.

source: http://fitceleb.imnotobsessed.com/2008/04/24/penne-with-caramelized-onio...