This creamy, dreamy pasta has all of the flavors your love from one of your favorite appetizers but in pasta form! Our Spinach Artichoke Pasta is a dish that'll fulfill that classic dip craving but in a healthy, hearty dinner! Even better, it's ready in just 20 minutes!
Friends, meet our new favorite creamy dreamy pasta! I love spinach and artichoke dip but wanted to make it into a slightly healthier, heartier dinner. Welcome our Spinach Artichoke Pasta! Everything you love about a spinach artichoke dip, but as pasta! Our latest fast and easy meatless pasta dish!
This easy 20-minute pasta is creamy but without a ton of cream and full of a ton of classic cheesy artichoke and spinach flavor, but with some simple ingredients. I love how easy it is to come together and also how excited my kids are to eat so much spinach!
Ingredients Needed
Simple ingredients, but a ton of flavor!
- Pasta - We love this with a whole wheat penne, but it's delicious with any of your favorites!
- Spinach - Fresh is what we always have on hand to be ready for any of our spinach recipes, but you can also use frozen.
- Artichoke Hearts - With this recipe, we use these artichokes hearts that we get at Costco and are in oil. We give them a little rinse before chopping and using them for the recipe, but you can also use your favorite canned artichoke hearts, or you can use freshly cooked artichokes.
- Cream Cheese and Half and Half - To add to the creamy sauce and the classic cream cheese flavor in your favorite spinach and artichoke dip! A great way to use up some of our Cream Cheese From Scratch!
- Butter, Flour, and Garlic - The start of a roux to create a creamy sauce.
- Stock - Vegetable to keep it vegetarian or chicken is great, too!
- Lemon Juice - Just a touch to finish the sauce with to add the right amount of acidity!
- Spices - Onion powder, thyme, and parsley. We prefer dried for this recipe but you can definitely use fresh - see recipe notes for the conversion.
- Parmesan Cheese - In the sauce and to finish with!
Step-by-Step Instructions
I love this Spinach Artichoke Pasta because it's an especially easy one!
- Create Roux with butter, flour, and garlic.
- Add stock with artichokes and spices.
- Add the half and half and cream and cheese and let simmer together.
All the while, your pasta is cooking, getting ready to be finished in the pot with this delightfully creamy sauce!
But before you add the pasta, add in that beautiful fresh spinach!
Once the pasta is done cooking, you're ready to add it to the pan and let it finish cooking with all the creamy, spinach artichoke dip goodness!
Recipe Tips
This step is the one that you have to pay the closest attention to in this super simple pasta recipe. Just be sure that your garlic doesn't burn and whisk that butter and a little bit of flour together to create a nice light roux that will be just enough to help thicken that creamy, cheesy sauce.
We prefer using fresh spinach for this recipe, mainly because it's the easiest to use! Just toss it in fresh and stir to let it wilt. But of course, you can use frozen, you just need to thaw it and then squeeze out the liquid from the spinach so that it's not added to your dish which will dilute the creaminess of this sauce.
Fresh, canned, or jarred and marinated in oil. Any that you have are great. We use about 10 oz these, but you can also use artichoke hearts in a 14 oz can. Whichever you use, just give them a drain and rinse, especially if they're marinated in oil.
To use fresh, you'll want to cook the whole artichoke and then cut out the heart. This is a great tutortial. 1 14 oz can of artichokes equals about 5-6 small artichokes.
When you add in the cream cheese and the cream, gently whisk that cream cheese into the sauce so that it melts well and fully incorporates into the sauce while it all simmers together. This will ensure that it's a nice creamy, flavorful sauce!
This goes for this recipe and our other pasta dishes (especially fresh pasta!) Cook your pasta just about 1 minute less than needed and then let it finish cooking in the sauce. This will not only let the pasta get coated in the sauce but will do so without it being overdone.
We add the Parmesan cheese after the spinach and just before the pasta. But be sure to save some (or use more) to top the pasta with, too!
Finally (the best part), plate and serve and enjoy this Spinach Artichoke Pasta!
Top with some additional Parmesan cheese and some fresh parsley if you have it, and you have a pasta dish that has all the delicious flavors of your favorite cheesy dip! Plus, it'll have your kids eating a bunch of spinach, which "sneaking" spinach into as many recipes as we can is kind of our jam.
Fulfill that spinach and artichoke dip craving, but in a pasta form that's perfect for any vegetarian dinner!
Fresh spinach, loads of tender artichoke hearts, and a cheesy creamy sauce. Does it get much better for pasta? Not in our book!
Enjoy! As always, if you make this recipe or any of my others, I love to hear what you think! Leave a comment below, email me, or you can find me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!
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Ingredients
- 1/2 lb pasta
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 1/2 - 1 3/4 cups artichoke hearts, chopped 10 oz rinsed and drained or about a 14 oz can
- 1 1/2 cup stock vegetable or chicken
- 1/2 cup half and half
- 1/4 cup cream cheese 2 oz
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 2 cups fresh spinach packed, 4 oz
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese finely grated, plus more for finishing
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- fresh parsley to finish optional
Instructions
- Heat a large pot of well salted water on high to bring to a boil.
- Meanwhile, heat a large saute pan (at least 3 qt) over medium and add butter. Let melt a little before adding garlic and flour and gently whisk flour and butter while the rest melts to create a light roux. Ensure that the garlic is coated in butter as well to prevent burning.
- Slowly add stock of choice and whisk to combine with roux. Add artichokes, parsley, thyme, and onion powder. Turn heat up to medium high to bring it all to a boil then turn back down to medium to let gently simmer for 3-5 minutes.
- When water comes to a boil, add pasta. Set time for 1 minute less than suggested cooking time.
- Add half and half and cream cheese and gently whisk cream cheese into sauce so that it all melts and incorporates well. Simmer for another 3-5 minutes while the cream cheese melts and sauce thickens.
- Add fresh spinach to the sauce and stir well into the sauce to wilt. Once spinach has wilted, add lemon juice and stir.
- When pasta is done drain and Immediately add pasta to saute pan. Coat with sauce, bring back up to a vigerous simmer (turning up heat slightly if necessary) and let pasta finish cooking in the sauce for another minute or until sauce thickens.
- Finsih with Parmesan cheese and stir well to melt. Then plate and serve!
- Top with additional Parmesan cheese or fresh parsley if desired.
You had me at spinach artichoke! This pasta sounds delicious! I am so excited to give this recipe a try! Thanks for the share!
Thanks Ann! I can't wait to hear what you think!
What a great pasta dish to mimic our favorite Spinach Artichoke dip. I love how easy it is to make and the healthier version too.
Thank you so much, Jere!