Spinach Artichoke Pasta

Spinach artichoke pasta is the perfect quick and easy dinner for a busy weeknight. Packed with flavour yet quite light, this spinach artichoke dip pasta is sure to become a family favourite.

This spinach artichoke pasta is a perfectly creamy yet light dish brimming with fresh spinach and artichokes. It’s truly a vegetarian delight made with a mix of cream cheese and grated veggie hard cheese.

It goes without saying that the inspiration for this spinach artichoke pasta recipe is the very popular spinach and artichoke dip. However, this is a much lighter dish with no mayo, no sour cream and no cheddar.

Why you’ll love this spinach and artichoke pasta

• It’s very easy to make in just 25 minutes.
• It’s full of flavour and nutritious at the same time.
• You only need a handful of ingredients to make it.

What goes into this spinach artichoke dip pasta

Olive oil — You need a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil to saute the garlic in. For extra creaminess, you can substitute with a knob of butter.

Garlic — Finely sliced garlic is perfect here — feel free to add as much as you like.

Red chilli flakes — If you don’t want your spinach artichoke pasta to have a bit of a kick, leave the red chilli flakes out.

Vegetable stock — I typically use shop-bought vegetable stock in this recipe because it’s super convenient, but homemade veggie stock would be great.

Cream cheese — I used full-fat Philadelphia cheese to make the pasta sauce creamy. You can use low-fat cream cheese, but the sauce will be thinner.

Spinach — I used baby spinach in this recipe because it only takes a couple of minutes to wilt. You can substitute it with frozen spinach, but you’ll have to thaw it first and then squeeze out the liquid as much as you can.

Artichokes — Canned artichokes in water are perfect for this pasta sauce, but you can also use artichokes that come packed in oil. Just make sure you pat them dry before adding them to the pot.

Vegetarian hard cheese — If you’re not a vegetarian, you can use grated Parmesan or Grana Padano here.

Pasta — Any pasta shape would work with this sauce — ideas include penne (that’s what I used), fusilli, linguine or spaghetti.

How to make spinach artichoke pasta

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it generously and cook the pasta al dente according to package instructions. Reserve 1-2 cups of pasta water before draining.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, deep pan or Dutch oven. Add the garlic and red chilli flakes and fry for 1 minute, careful not to burn the garlic.

Add the vegetable stock and cream cheese and cook, stirring, until the cheese has melted.

Bring the sauce to a simmer, then add the baby spinach. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring often until the spinach is wilted.

Add the cooked pasta and artichoke hearts and toss well until the sauce thickens. Add a splash of the reserved pasta water if it looks too dry.

Stir in the grated cheese, season to taste and serve immediately, with some extra grated cheese on top if you like.

Recipe notes and tips

• This spinach artichoke pasta is best served immediately. If you do have leftovers, the best way to reheat them is in the microwave.
• Transform this dish into a spinach artichoke pasta bake — simply transfer it to a baking dish, sprinkle with extra cheese and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is nice and bubbling.
• Spinach and artichoke pasta is a hearty meal on its own, but you can also add some sides to it — garlic bread or a simple salad would both work.

If you liked this spinach artichoke pasta, you might also like some of my other easy vegetarian pasta recipes:

• Creamy Mushroom Alfredo Pasta Bake
• Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta with Walnuts
• Pasta e Piselli (Pasta and Peas)
• Pasta alla Cenere (Gorgonzola and Black Olive Pasta)
• Green Pasta Sauce (Pasta Verde)

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