Easy and delicious, this Baked Spinach Artichoke Pasta is a flavorful dinner that is packed with spinach, canned artichoke hearts, your favorite pasta, and protein from cottage cheese. Vegetarian, easily gluten free, and done in about 40 minutes.
You know that spinach artichoke dip that everyone goes nuts over at every gathering or potluck? Well, now we have turned it into a dinner item by tossing pasta into the mix!
You see, I love to make baked pasta dishes during the chilly months. They are easy to throw together, quick to make, and always a great way to add more veggies to the table. Totally the perfect comfort food to curl up with at the end of a busy day.
The leftovers are magical for lunch the next day and this vegetarian pasta dish recipe comes together in about 40 minutes…start to finish!
This recipe is….
Vegetarian, egg-free, easily gluten free, done in about 40 minutes, and great to make as part of meal prep.
Why you are going to love this Baked Spinach Artichoke Pasta
- It has all the flavor of spinach artichoke dip but in a dinner recipe. My husband described this baked pasta as the love child of mac and cheese and spinach artichoke dip. I mean, if that description doesn’t make you excited to make this…nothing will.
- Veggie-loaded. Like, whoa. a whole 9 ounce bag of spinach AND 14 ounce can of artichokes in this dish. It tastes like heaven and gets a ton of veggies into the belly of your’s.
- Naturally vegetarian and can easily be made gluten free.
- Great to serve to a crowd or to make as part of meal prep. This baked spinach artichoke pasta reheated beautifully and is loved by all kinds of eaters. Make it for a potluck and be everyone’s new favorite dinner guest.
- Packed with protein from cottage cheese. People don’t often realize how much protein is in cottage cheese, but it is a great way to pump up the protein in a vegetarian dish while adding a great creamy flavor.
- Family-friendly. All my recipes go through rigorous taste testing by my family and friends. And while they love me, they take their job very seriously and tell me very bluntly when a recipe is going to work and which is a flop. And this baked spinach artichoke pasta was beloved by all who tried it!
- Easy to make. Done in about 40 minutes makes this the perfect baked pasta recipe to make on a busy weeknight.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use frozen spinach? Yes, use 6 to 8 ounces of frozen spinach, but make sure to defrost it and squeeze any excess moisture out of it before adding it to the recipe.
Can I use frozen artichoke hearts? Yes, defrost the artichoke hearts, squeeze them dry with a kitchen towel or paper towels, and then roughly chop them before adding them to the recipe.
Can I make this ahead of time? Yes, make the baked spinach artichoke pasta up until the point of baking then you can wrap it in foil and place it in the fridge for up to 2 days. The casserole will take longer to bake after being refrigerated, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Do I have to bake this spinach artichoke pasta? Nope! If you want to get it on the table ASAP and don’t mind skipping the melty cheese on top, you can skip the baking and put this vegetarian pasta dish directly into bowls once you have everything combined in the sauce pan.
Suggested Adaptations
- Make this gluten free, use your favorite gluten-free pasta. I tried this with brown rice pasta and it worked out great.
- Add cooked chicken or diced sausage if vegetarian isn’t needed.
- Up the veggies by adding more spinach or even cooked broccoli or cauliflower to the mix.
Other veggie-loaded pasta recipes to add to the menu
- Creamy Broccoli Pasta
- Spinach Chickpea Baked Feta Pasta
- Baked Pasta with Eggplant
- Pesto Veggie Pasta Salad
- Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese (with peas)
- Mushroom Lentil Pasta
- Veggie-Loaded Turkey Lasagna
Loving this baked spinach artichoke pasta recipe and now you’re hungry for more?
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Baked Spinach Artichoke Pasta
Ingredients
- 12 ounces small-shaped pasta like shells or elbows
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup finely chopped onion
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt divided
- 3-4 cloves garlic minced
- 9 ounces baby spinach roughly chopped
- ¼ cup water
- 14 ounce canned artichoke hearts drained, patted dry, and roughly chopped
- 1 ½ cup cottage cheese
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 8 ounces grated cheddar cheese about 2 cups
- 5 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese divided
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 400℉. Grease a large casserole dish with olive oil.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet or pot over medium heat (I use the same pot I cooked the pasta in). Add onion then sprinkle with ½ tsp of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 2 more minutes.
- Add the spinach and water. You may need to pack it into the pot to fit but it will cook down and shrink. Place a lid on your pan and cook until the spinach is completely wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove the lid then simmer until most of the water in the bottom of the pan has evaporated.
- Add the chopped artichoke hearts, cottage cheese, cream cheese, ½ of the grated cheddar, 3 tablespoons of parmesan, garlic powder, remaining ½ tsp salt, and pepper. Stir until cream cheese is fully melted and everything is well combined.
- Stir the cooked pasta into the sauce. Taste and add more salt and pepper as needed. Spread the pasta into your prepared casserole dish then sprinkle the remaining grated cheddar and 2 tablespoon of parmesan cheese over the top. Bake until the cheese is golden brown and bubbling, about 10 minutes. Serve hot.
Nutrition
The nutritional information is provided as an estimate only and may vary based on the product type, servings and other factors. If you are following a diet, please consult with a professional nutritionist or your doctor. Stay healthy!
I can’t wait to make this myself! I was lucky enough to be one of the taste testers and I have been craving more. This here is major comfort food, especially now that it’s getting chillier.
I 100% agree!
Oh my goodness I was unsure of this recipe but it was delicious!!!! I used whole wheat penne and added frozen peas. Next I may add even MORE spinach! Thanks for an easy weeknight dinner recipe!
Love that you love it….and that it surprised you!
Yum! My adult son said to put this to the top of the make again/repeat list.
Yes! Love helping you add more veggie-loaded recipes to the dinner rotation!
What is the best way to reheat this dish?
I like to cover it and throw it in the oven at 350℉ for 10-15 minutes. Or you can reheat portions in the microwave