Light, fresh, and perfect for spring, you’re going to love this Creamy Spinach Artichoke Pasta. Hot buttered pasta tossed with spinach and artichokes in a creamy, garlicky, parmesan sauce. Simple, yet elegant. Perfect for date night or a quick weeknight dinner. Ready in under 30 minutes.
I first got the idea for this Spinach Artichoke Pasta from my love for Spinach Artichoke Dip. Do you ever have a great, original idea then google it only to find that it’s already been thought of? That happens to me all the time. 🙂
Like many recipes (I eventually found), I first thought to make this pasta dish using a thinned out spinach artichoke dip as the sauce. The only problem was that it turned out a little too thick and goopy. I wanted something light, fresh, and perfect for spring – the height of artichoke season, not something stick-to-your-ribs heavy that I might like on a game day in November.
I turned to my go-to parmesan cream sauce as the base for this recipe. It’s creamy, garlicky, and cheesy and clings to the pasta in a wonderful way. I added canned artichoke hearts, cut into quarters, and a big handful of baby spinach.
I used plain artichoke hearts canned in water, not marinated artichoke hearts, for their delicate, earthy flavor. You can substitute frozen artichoke hearts. Thyme and parmesan round out the flavors and make the perfect flavor complement.
Serve this Creamy Spinach Artichoke Pasta as a main course for a vegetarian meal or as a side dish to accompany roast chicken, salmon, or a grilled steak. I love to slice up some grilled chicken breasts and toss them in for a one dish meal.
Creamy Spinach Artichoke Pasta
Description
Hot buttered pasta tossed with spinach and artichokes in a creamy, garlicky, parmesan sauce. Simple, yet elegant. Perfect for date night or a quick weeknight dinner. Ready in under 30 minutes.
Ingredients
For the Pasta:
- 1 pound linguine ((454g))
- 1 tablespoon butter ((.5oz, 14g))
For the Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons olive or butter ((1oz, 28g))
- 1 medium onion diced
- 5 cloves garlic finely minced
- ¾ cup chicken broth ((6oz, 170g))
- 1 ½ cup cream or half and half ((12oz, 340g))
- ¾ cup finely grated parmesan cheese ((3oz, 85g))
- 6 ounce bag of baby spinach leaves whole or roughly chopped ((170g))
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 14 oz can artichoke hearts in water ((397g) drained, rinsed, and quartered)
- Red pepper flakes (salt, and pepper to taste)
Instructions
For the Pasta:
- Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain and toss with butter.
For the Sauce:
- Heat olive oil or butter in a skillet over medium heat.
- Add onions and cook until softened.
- Add the garlic. Stir and cook for about 1 minute.
- Deglaze pan with broth, scraping bottom to release any bits sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Add cream and bring to a simmer. Allow to simmer for 2 minutes.
- Turn off heat and whisk in parmesan until melted.
- Stir in baby spinach. Gently stir in artichoke hearts.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
- Combine pasta and sauce.
- Serve.
Enjoy, friends!
Subscribe to FOODTASIA’S NEWSLETTER to receive fresh recipes straight to your inbox.
Follow me on INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST for all the latest content and recipes!
You might also like:
This bowl of pasta is calling us. Today it is super cold and windy and we are craving a bowl of comfort lightened up for spring. Just pinned!
★★★★★
This would be perfect! Thanks so much, Bobbi!
Artichoke and Pasta are probably my favorite combination in a pasta dish. I really like this recipe, I will definitely try it.
★★★★★
It's delicious! Thanks so much, Cookie Monster!
I share your love for spinach artichoke dip, so this pasta dish looks like perfection to me! Just the right amount of creamy sauce and love that it’s both easy and elegant!
★★★★★
It's a lovely combination! Thanks so much, Marissa!
The pasta look drooworthy! The sauce sounds so good and it's not even difficult to make.
It's easy to make and so delicious! Thanks so much, Angie!
I love simple, fresh pasta dishes like this, Kelly - so easy and good! The artichokes and baby spinach are perfect for spring and I have lots of thyme growing in the garden. Looking forward to trying this!
★★★★★
It's a lovely dish! Thanks so much, Geraldine!
So nice and light Kelly! Perfect for those busy weeknights! We'd never pass up a pasta dish like this one at our house!
Thanks so much, Mary Ann!
So perfect light lunch or dinner for sunny days like this one ! Thank you dear friend ! Pinning !
★★★★★
Thank you so much, Davorka!
Sounds fantastic, Kelly - when. Make it, I will trade out the garlic for a nice fat shallot! And I think I have a bag of frozen artichoke hearts on hand! I am sure they will work as well as the canned, don’t you?
A shallot would be quite wonderful in this dish! And yes, the frozen artichoke hearts will work just fine. Thanks so much, David!
Kelly, this is great looking pasta. I've actually tried making a creamy spinach artichoke pasta and like you mentioned it was too creamy. Yours looks wonderfully light and a perfect side for some nice smoked salmon.
Yep, it happens to me all the time. I think I've come up with a new original idea, then Google it only to find there's plenty who beat me to it. Thanks for sharing.
★★★★★
Oh yum! You're right, Ron! Smoked salmon would be just perfect with this dish. Thanks so much!
Kelly that is making me soooo hungry! Your photos are gorgeous. Artichokes and spinach are such a wonderful compliment to pasta and that cream sauce?! Pinning for later! xo
It's delicious! Thanks so much, Kim!
This sounds even better than Spinach Artichoke Dip! Great recipe!
It's really quite wonderful! Thanks so much, Susan!
ooh yum! i love spinach artichoke dip too so i bet i'd love this pasta (:
★★★★★
It's a lovely combination! Thanks so much, Heather!
I love this idea and was thinking it was totally original, too. I often look things up only to find a million or so others are thinking the same thing. 🙂 Love that you thinned out the dip version for the pasta. Love it for any night or special occasion.
★★★★★
And I get so excited when I think of a great new recipe! I guess it's new to me. Thanks so much, Valentina!
Love spinach artichoke dip so to have in pasta form is just brilliant! Talk about comfort food! Perfect for dinner tonight with some crusty bread 🙂 And 30 minute meals are the best...so awesome for busy days when there's not a lot of time, but you want something good, ya know? Hope you have a wonderful week ahead, my friend!
★★★★★
It would be lovely with some crusty bread. If I can have comfort food in less than 30 minutes, I'm a happy camper! Thanks so much, Dawn! Have a lovely week!
This looks so fresh and light for Spring! The parmesan sauce is calling my name! Spinach artichoke is such a wonderful combination! YUM!
★★★★★
It's a wonderful dish! A little bit of thyme rounds out all the flavors perfectly. Thanks so much, Haylie!
I love light and fresh pasta- nothing heavy! Looks so yummy!
It's perfect! Thanks so much, Melissa!
So perfect, Kelly! I love the idea of non-marinated artichokes in this, too! My son has just discovered he actually likes artichokes, so I may be making this soon - anything with a garlic Parmesan sauce is a hit for us! Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★★
Yes, I think the marinated artichokes would have been overpowering in this dish. The plain canned or even frozen artichokes keep the flavors very mild and delicate. So awesome that your son like artichokes! Thanks so much, Laura!
Kelly, this happens to me ALL THE TIME. My husband and I almost have a little game going where we think of strange recipe ideas and then go see if its been done. I swear, its all been done! Haha. Either way, I've never seen anything like this and it looks SO good!! The perfect spring dish!
Haha! That's a fun game! I think I'll google chocolate covered artichokes and see if we have a winner! In any case, it is a delicious dish. Thanks so much, Katherine!
What I hate more is when I come up with a great idea only to find it on the front cover of a magazine a week before I post it. Noooooooo! Back to the important stuff though, this pasta looks fantastic. Creamy, light and super delicious.
★★★★★
Ugh! Well, at least you know you're spot on with what's hot! Thanks so much, Marie!
Oh my goodness! This looks so delicious. Artichoke dip is one of my favorites and I love that you've turned it into a lovely main dish! This is a perfect, elegant dish!
★★★★★
It really is very elegant, but also quick and easy! Thanks so much, Kathy!
Terrific looking dish! That sauce looks killer. And I'll never -- N E V E R -- turn down artichokes. Really creative recipe -- thanks.
I've been on such an artichoke binge lately - I'm obsessed! They add such a lovely flavor to so many dishes. Thanks so much, John!
This pasta has me drooling!!!! I love anything spinach and artichoke, so pair that with pasta and your creamy parmesan sauce?! SOLD! I am definitely making this for dinner soon! Pinned!
★★★★★
It's such an awesome combination! What I love about this pasta dish is how light and fresh it turned out. Thanks so much, Chey!
My husband is in the movie business and we have had many discussions on "is there a movie plot that hasn't been make or a recipe idea that hasn't been cooked." 🙂 The nice thing about recipes, you can always add your special touch to make it different. Your pasta is beautiful and looks absolutely delicious.
I often wonder how they keep coming up with new ideas for movies, yet they still come up with amazing ones. Even remakes of old movies are cool because of the advance in technology. Thanks so much, MJ!
Beautiful pictures! I am glad the dish uses artichokes from a jar, fresh one I can only get about once a year around here...
I know what you mean, Adina. And it's so much faster using jarred/canned ones. Thanks so much!
I love this pasta! I've had something like it before, but not with artichokes, and I love artichokes!
It's light, fresh, and so delicious! Thanks so much, Jeff!
I don't know anyone who doesn't love spinach artichoke dip so I know this would be a big hit at our dining table.
It's a delicious combination! Thanks so much, Karen!
Kelly, I am 100% going to try this! Artichoke hearts are my favorite food of all time--add them to pasta and I love them even more!
★★★★★
Kelsie, I've been going crazy with the artichoke hearts these past few weeks. I just want to put them in everything! Thanks so much!
This is fabulous. But I think somehow I haven’t been getting your emails - I’ll sign up again. Great recipe.
Thanks so much, Mimi!
Just an FYI: While asparagus is definitely a spring veggie, artichokes are actually ready to harvest toward the end of summer (late July or August)