Easy Spinach Artichoke Pasta
Creamy, cheesy, and loaded with spinach and artichokes, this Spinach Artichoke Pasta bake is perfect whenever you’re craving a soul-satisfying and hearty casserole. It’s easy to make, and the kids won’t even mind the veggies in it!
Perfect on Meatless Monday, for potlucks, or for dinner on a busy weeknight, this spinach
artichoke pasta recipe is a tasty twist on the classic dip.
A reader emailed me to tell me that she’d been making my Spinach Artichoke Alfredo Dip but
thinned the dip to make it into a sauce and used it over pasta. I gave it a try, and boy, was it
good! I made a few more adjustments, and this Spinach Artichoke Pasta recipe is the result.
This recipe is so easy! I don’t usually like to use jarred sauces, but a jar of Alfredo sauce does
most of the work for this recipe. And, when it’s jazzed up like this, it’s amazing!
Ingredients To Make Spinach Artichoke Pasta Bake
- Garlic – Use fresh garlic cloves for maximum flavor.
- Spinach – I use a package of frozen chopped spinach. Thaw it and squeeze the water out before using it.
- Artichoke hearts – Canned quartered artichoke hearts are fine.
- Alfredo pasta sauce – 1 jar is all you need!
- Mozzarella cheese – Buy pre-shredded cheese to make prep even easier.
- Parmesan cheese – Shredded or grated is fine.
- Cream cheese – Let it soften on the counter for an hour before using it.
- Milk – Whole milk or whatever you have on hand.
- Pasta – Rotini is so cute in this pasta with artichoke hearts recipe, but any shape is fine.
What Are Artichoke Hearts & How To Buy Them
Artichoke hearts are the innermost part of an artichoke. They’re tender and have a light lemony flavor that pairs so well with spinach and a creamy sauce.
You could buy whole artichokes and pare off the leaves and prickly choke to extract the tender heart, or you can buy them canned and save yourself a whole lot of work.
Artichoke hearts are sold in cans and jars (and I’ve even seen them frozen.) Jarred and canned artichokes are packed in water or marinated in an oil and herb mixture. I recommend the water-packed quartered artichoke hearts for this recipe, but the marinated artichokes will work if you’re in a pinch. Either way, drain them well before using them.
How To Make Creamy Spinach Artichoke Pasta
- Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. Cool the pasta down with cold running water and set it aside.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C.)
- Cook the frozen spinach in the microwave according to the directions on the package, but subtract one minute from the cooking time. OR, thaw the spinach first and don’t cook it to thaw.
- Squeeze the spinach to remove the liquid.
- Combine the cooked pasta and remaining ingredients in a 2-quart baking dish, reserving ¼ cup of cheese.
- Bake until it’s hot and bubbly, then add the remaining cheese and bake until the added cheese is bubbly and brown. Serve!
Tips To Making The Best Spinach Artichoke Dip Pasta
- Cook the pasta until it’s al dente because it will cook a bit more once in the oven.
- Squeeze the cooked spinach by hand or put it into a strainer and press down on it with a small plate or wooden spoon. You can also use a citrus press.
- There’s plenty of garlic in this recipe so just use plain Alfredo sauce. You don’t need roasted garlic, 4-cheese, or any other varieties.
- Add more milk if you like the sauce a bit thinner, less milk if you like it thicker. Remember that the pasta will absorb some liquid while in the oven.
- You can make this dish ahead of time and then pop it into the fridge until you’re ready to eat. Allow for a bit more cooking time if it goes into the oven cold.
Variations
- You can do so much with this shortcut spinach artichoke Alfredo pasta dish. Some of my favorites include:
- Add leftover grilled or rotisserie chicken to the casserole before baking.
- Switch up the cheese! Gouda, Swiss, and even cheddar are all tasty options. Use pepper jack chees if you like a bit of spice.
- Add crumbled bacon to the casserole.
- Use ricotta cheese in this spinach bake instead of cream cheese.
- Top the casserole with crispy fried onions
- A few red pepper flakes will add a bit of a kick to this baked spinach artichoke pasta.
- Use penne pasta to make this a spinach artichoke penne pasta dish.
How To Store This Spinach And Artichoke Pasta Bake
Not only can you keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days, but this recipe will also freeze fabulously! Perfect for meal prepping, make this dish ahead of time and chill it, then pop portions into the freezer for quick meals later in the week.
When reheating this dish, you may want to add a touch more milk to help it get nice and creamy again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! If you can boil pasta, then you can handle this dish! The oven does all the work once you’ve combined all the ingredients.
Yes! It is vegetarian. With the cheese in it, however, it is not vegan.
Yes! Just follow the recipe up until the part where you put it in a casserole dish. Instead, put it in your crockpot and cook on low until warm, about 2-3 hours.
Well, there’s good nutrition from spinach and artichokes, but there’s also a lot of cheese and cream in this recipe. It’s not low-fat or low-carb, so enjoy it in moderation if you’re worried about the calories or fat content.
More Great Pasta Dishes
- Baked Pimento Cheese Pasta
- Sausage Eggplant Greek Pasta Salad
- Green Chile Chicken Cheesy Pasta Bake
- Crockpot Southwest Chicken Pasta
- Clam Chowder Pasta Bake
Spinach Artichoke Pasta
Ingredients
- 4 Cloves garlic minced
- 10 Oz package frozen spinach
- 14 Oz can or jar artichoke hearts drained and chopped
- 15 Oz jar alfredo pasta sauce
- 1-1/4 Cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided (1 cup mixed in and 1/4 cup to top the pasta with)
- 1/3 Cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 8 Oz cream cheese softened
- 1/4 – 1/2 Cup milk depending on how thin/thick you like your pasta sauce to be
- 16 Oz box rotini pasta (or use your favorite pasta shape) Cooked
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Cook the frozen spinach in the microwave per the package instructions, subtracting a minute from the total cook time OR thaw it completely and don’t cook it in the microwave. Either way will work. Squeeze off the liquid from the spinach either by hand, or by placing it in a colander & pressing it down with a spoon or your fingers.
- In an 2 quart baking dish, combine all your ingredients – reserving ¼ cup of mozzarella cheese.
- Bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes, or until cheeses are melted and bubbly. Remove, & sprinkle on remaining ¼ cup of cheese. Put it back in the oven for a couple of minutes for the cheese to melt. Serve warm.