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.
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Recipe
Creamy Spinach Artichoke Pasta
Ingredients
For the Pasta:
- 1 pound linguine (454g)
- 1 tablespoon butter (.5oz, 14g)
For the Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil 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 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.
Notes
- 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.
Nutrition
Enjoy, friends!
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Haylie / Our Balanced Bowl says
This looks so fresh and light for Spring! The parmesan sauce is calling my name! Spinach artichoke is such a wonderful combination! YUM!
Kelly says
It's a wonderful dish! A little bit of thyme rounds out all the flavors perfectly. Thanks so much, Haylie!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food says
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!
Kelly says
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!
Valentina says
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.
Kelly says
And I get so excited when I think of a great new recipe! I guess it's new to me. Thanks so much, Valentina!
heather (delicious not gorgeous) says
ooh yum! i love spinach artichoke dip too so i bet i'd love this pasta (:
Kelly says
It's a lovely combination! Thanks so much, Heather!
Susan says
This sounds even better than Spinach Artichoke Dip! Great recipe!
Kelly says
It's really quite wonderful! Thanks so much, Susan!
Kim Lange says
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
Kelly says
It's delicious! Thanks so much, Kim!
Ron says
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.
Kelly says
Oh yum! You're right, Ron! Smoked salmon would be just perfect with this dish. Thanks so much!
David says
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?
Kelly says
A shallot would be quite wonderful in this dish! And yes, the frozen artichoke hearts will work just fine. Thanks so much, David!
2pots2cook says
So perfect light lunch or dinner for sunny days like this one ! Thank you dear friend ! Pinning !
Kelly says
Thank you so much, Davorka!
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says
So nice and light Kelly! Perfect for those busy weeknights! We'd never pass up a pasta dish like this one at our house!
Kelly says
Thanks so much, Mary Ann!
Geraldine | Green Valley Kitchen says
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!
Kelly says
It's a lovely dish! Thanks so much, Geraldine!
angiesrecipes says
The pasta look drooworthy! The sauce sounds so good and it's not even difficult to make.
Kelly says
It's easy to make and so delicious! Thanks so much, Angie!
Marissa says
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!
Kelly says
It's a lovely combination! Thanks so much, Marissa!
Cookie Monster says
Artichoke and Pasta are probably my favorite combination in a pasta dish. I really like this recipe, I will definitely try it.
Kelly says
It's delicious! Thanks so much, Cookie Monster!
Healthy World Cuisine says
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!
Kelly says
This would be perfect! Thanks so much, Bobbi!