6-Ingredient Artichoke Pasta Bake (No Spinach Needed!)

You know I'm all about keeping things simple in the kitchen, and this easy artichoke pasta bake is no exception. It's a 6-ingredient dinner that tastes like comfort food, comes together fast, and is as much of go-to on busy nights as this Spinach Ravioli Bake.

Truthfully, I wasn't always an artichoke fan, but my husband is borderline obsessed. So I started picking up a few jars from Trader Joe's (where all good recipe testing begins), and over time, I became a fan too (I'm looking at you grilled artichokes). They add so much flavor to this dish.

I skipped the traditional spinach pairing in this recipe because my kids were in a "I'm afraid of green food phase" and went with a red sauce base to keep things simple. If you craving a more traditional spinach artichoke flavor, check out my stovetop Spinach Artichoke Spaghetti, this Spinach Artichoke Baked Pasta or Spinach Artichoke Dip.

 

Ingredients

• Pasta: Short shapes like penne, rigatoni, or fusilli work best for baked pasta dishes.
• Marinated grilled artichoke hearts: Chopped, drained, and packed with flavor. If you can't find those, don't stress, any marinated artichokes will do.
• Ricotta cheese: Or cottage cheese if that's what you have on hand.
• Shredded mozzarella: For the melty topping.
• Pasta sauce: Your favorite jarred sauce or a simple homemade version.

💡Pro Tip: Keep a jar of marinated artichokes in the pantry, they're the easiest way to add bold flavor to simple dishes like this one.

Step by step instructions

💡 Quick Summary: Just cook your pasta, stir everything together, bake, and enjoy.

Preheat and Boil. Preheat your oven to 375°F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, cook pasta until al dente, then drain.

Mix It All Up. In a big mixing bowl, combine, cooked pasta, chopped artichokes, ricotta, half of the shredded mozzarella, pasta sauce and milk. Stir until everything is well combined.

Bake. Transfer the mixture to a greased 9x13" baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella on top. Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes, until bubbly and golden brown.

Substitutions and Variations

It's so easy to substitute ingredients in this artichoke pasta bake, making it perfect for when you just need to get something on the table. Here are some of the substitutions that I have successfully tried:

• Jarred pasta sauce → use canned tomato sauce and add some salt, pepper, 1 teaspoon sugar (to cut acidity) and italian spices.
• Ricotta cheese → use cottage cheese.
• Add more veggies → try canned mushrooms or frozen peas.
• Marinated artichokes → use frozen.  Be sure to defrost and dry them well before adding to the pasta bake.
• Spice it up → Add 1 tablespoon of red pepper flakes to the pasta mixture before baking.
• No bake option → Make this spinach artichoke spaghetti, leave out the spinach and add in the jarred marinara sauce.

Make-Ahead Tips

• Make Ahead: Assemble the unbaked pasta bake, cover, and refrigerate up to 24 hours.
• Freeze It: Fully bake the dish, let it cool and then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost and the reheat in a 350℉ oven.

Pro Tip: In either case, add ½ to 1 cup of extra pasta sauce before baking. It keeps the noodles from soaking up too much liquid and ensures the dish stays saucy and flavorful when reheated.

More pantry pasta dishes to try

📖 Recipe