My husband eats artichokes straight from the jar, I find a way to add spinach to almost everything, and my kids are obsessed with spinach artichoke dip, so naturally, this spinach artichoke spaghetti had to happen. As a busy mom of three, finding recipes everyone will be happy with can be tough, but this one fits the bill!
It’s everything we love about the classic dip but turned into a creamy, flavorful pasta dish that comes together fast. With just six pantry-friendly ingredients, you can make this in the same time it takes to boil the noodles, which means dinner is done before anyone can even ask, “What’s for dinner?”
And if you love the spinach-artichoke combo as much as we do, you can turn this recipe into a spinach artichoke pasta bake with just one more ingredient and a little bit extra time. But if a quick, no-fuss weeknight dinner is what you’re after, this easy spaghetti recipe is the way to go. Let’s get cooking!
Ingredients
- Baby Spinach: It will look like a ton of spinach, but will cook down quickly.
- Marinated Artichokes: You can find them in a jar, a can or in sealed pouches. The marinated artichokes give so much extra flavor to the dish, but in a pinch you could certainly use regular quartered artichokes.
- Pasta: I like to use the pot sized spaghetti (basically spaghetti noodles broken in half for you), but any long twirly pasta shape you like will work. Think fettuccine, bucatini, or linguine as options.
Step by Step Instructions
Start by boiling the pasta according to package directions, being sure to salt the water. When the pasta is done cooking, remove 1 cup of pasta water from the pasta pot before draining. You won't need it all, but better to have too much, than too little. Drain the pasta and set aside for a minute.
While the pasta cooks, add the artichokes, spinach and Italian seasoning to a saute pan and cook.
Ad pasta water to the saucepan with the cream cheese and stir to melt it together. Then mix in the Parmesan cheese until it has melted into a silky sauce.
Add the drained pasta.
Stir until all ingredients are well combined!
Remember that the pasta water is your friend in spinach artichoke spaghetti (and lots of other recipes as well). You'll want to use that starchy water to make the cheese sauce thick and creamy. It will help the cheese melt properly and help the sauce coat the other ingredients evenly.
Variations
While spinach artichoke spaghetti is delicious as it's written, you can definitely add additional ingredients or make some swaps to customize it to your family’s taste. Here are a few suggestions:
- Add extra veggies: You can double the amount of spinach, adding the additional spinach after you add in the pasta so it doesn't cook down as much. You could also double the artichokes or add asparagus or kale. Just be sure to cook them through before making the sauce.
- Make it spicy: To give the dish an extra kick, add red pepper flakes to taste into the saute pan as you are cooking the spinach.
- Add Pesto: Add another layer of flavor by adding in ¼ cup spinach pesto when you add in the Parm. More spinach, a little garlic, a hint of lemon all elevate this spaghetti recipe to new heights
- Add a Protein: Add flaked leftover pesto salmon, shredded chicken (or a plant based chicken option, for my kosher keepers), directly to the pan before you add the mixture to the baking dish.
Storage Tips
- To store leftovers: Simply pop the spaghetti into an airtight container and put in the fridge. The leftovers will last for up to 5 day.
- To reheat: Add a splash of milk to the container and lightly cover, then reheat in the microwave at 30 second intervals. You want the cheese to get warm and melty again without the pasta becoming rubbery.
Other awesome pasta dishes
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📖 Recipe
20-Minute Spinach Artichoke Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 1 lb pasta
- 1 jar marinated artichokes
- 10 oz baby spinach
- 6 oz cream cheese
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- ½ TB Italian Seasoning
- 1 cup pasta water (saved from boiling pasta)
Instructions
- Boil the pasta according to package directions.
- While the pasta cooks, put a saucepan on the stove on medium heat and add 1 TB olive oil. Once the pan is hot add the artichokes to the pan, then the spinach and Italian seasoning. Then let cook until the spinach wilts down.
- Remove 1 cup of pasta water from the pasta pot before draining. You won't need it all, but better to have too much, than too little.
- Add ¾ cups of the pasta water to the saucepan with the cream cheese and stir to melt it together. Then add the Parmesan stirring until it has melted into a silky sauce. Salt to taste.
- Add the drained pasta and stir until all ingredients are well combined. Transfer to serving dish and enjoy!
Notes
- Remember to save the pasta water when you are done cooking the pasta. The starch the pasta gives off while it cooks will help make the sauce come together nicely!
- Turn this recipe into a spinach artichoke pasta bake by pouring it into a ceramic baking dish, topping with mozzarella cheese and baking at 400℉ until golden and bubbly.
- Add more veggies: You can easily up the veggies in this spaghetti dish. More spinach, extra artichokes, cooked kale or asparagus are all great options.
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