So easy and delicious, this spinach artichoke pasta bake is a lick-your-plate-clean kind of dinner packs in spinach, canned artichoke hearts, and your favorite pasta. Cottage cheese adds a little boost of extra power while keeping the dish completely meatless, and the whole thing bakes up into a creamy, cozy dinner in about 35 minutes (start to finish).

A serving of baked spinach artichoke pasta on a plate with a fork. There is a bowl of cheese and the tray of the pasta bake next to the plate.
If you’re the kind of person who heads straight for spinach artichoke dip at a party, well….let me just tell you, this spinach artichoke pasta bake is about to be your new favorite dinner.

Cozy baked pasta dishes during the chilly months are my dinner jam (oh, your’s too? I knew we were friends for a reason!) because they’re easy to toss together, usually quick to make, and the queen of easily getting more veggies tucked into dinner always a great way to get more veggies onto the table (this dump-and-go tortellini sausage bake has 2 veggies craftily worked in…and is sooooo good). And this spinach artichoke pasta bake, well, she is exactly the kind of comfort food you want to curl up with at the end of a busy day. Oh and the leftovers are pretty magical for lunch the next day too.

Done in under 35 minutes (so super weeknight doable), this bake legit tastes like spinach artichoke dip in dinner-friendly form. In fact, my husband, Ken, describes it as the love child of mac and cheese and spinach artichoke dip… and yeah, agreed. .It’s creamy, all those warm cozy flavors the dip is know for, and very veggie-loaded thanks to a full 9-ounce bag of spinach (!) and a whole can of artichoke hearts baked right into the dish. Cottage cheese adds a protein-packed lift and creaminess, while keeping the recipe completely meatless.

If you love the spinach artichoke flavor combo but would prefer a meatier dinner option, let me just point you in the direction of my spinach artichoke chicken bake . It has the same creamy spinach artichoke dinner vibe, but uses chicken tenders baked under that cozy spinach artichoke-dip vibes.

Let’s make dinner together. Just you and me…

Process shot of how to make spinach artichoke pasta.
1. Start by sautéing some onions in a large pot. 2. then we are going to wilt down alllll that spinach. 3. Once the spinach has stopped being a space hog and has wilted down, add in pretty much everything else except the cooked pasta and and a little parm.
Spinach artichoke pasta in a baking dish.
Okay, now still in that cooked pasta and spread it in a casserole baking dish.
ANd top with the last bit of grated parm.
A tray of baked spinach artichoke pasta on a cooking rack.
And bake her up until golden and bubbly!
A spoon scooping a serving of baked spinach artichoke pasta out of the baking dish.
Then scoop out and enjoy the fruits of your labor!
4.93 from 14 votes

Creamy Baked Spinach Artichoke Pasta (with cottage cheese)

Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 24 minutes
Cuisine: American
Course: Main Course
Author: Taesha Butler
So easy and delicious, this spinach artichoke pasta bake is a lick-your-plate-clean kind of dinner packs in spinach, canned artichoke hearts, and your favorite pasta. Cottage cheese adds a little boost of extra power while keeping the dish completely meatless, and the whole thing bakes up into a creamy, cozy dinner in about 35 minutes (start to finish).
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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.
Calories: 405kcal, Carbohydrates: 40g, Protein: 22g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 42mg, Sodium: 966mg, Potassium: 415mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 3398IU, Vitamin C: 11mg, Calcium: 334mg, Iron: 2mg
Nutritional information provided here is only an estimate shared for convenience and as a courtesy. Information will vary based on ingredients + brands used to create the recipe.