Are you one of those people who has proudly (or sheepishly) announced that you could eat a whole pot of spinach artichoke dip if left alone with it too long? If so, I understand. I might be one of those people, too... Which is why I love this spinach artichoke pasta bake so much. It satisfies my cravings for the classic dip, but as an easy, "proper" meal. Far more elegant than just dumping dip on noodles, it's packed with spinach and chopped artichoke hearts. This baked pasta is creamy without being heavy, and on the table in under 45 minutes. Which, for a baked pasta dish, is pretty quick!
This post may contain affiliate links. There is no cost to you, but if you buy something from these links I may earn a small commission, which helps keep my stove hot and small pantry stocked–thank you!
I first made something similar to this spinach artichoke pasta bake years ago for one of my first personal chef clients. Truth be told, I don't know where the idea sprang from, but a quick google shows that it's not a new idea. There is something alluring about turning snacky dips into an elegant main dish.
However, as mentioned above, this isn't as basic as just putting dip on noodles. While I would probably go to town on that, I cannot lie, this recipe is lighter and, dare I say, more refined. It captures all of the comforting, playful spirit of spinach artichoke dip, but this baked spinach artichoke pasta has its own character.
Core Ingredients
Artichokes
Jarred and canned artichoke hearts work very well here. I generally prefer canned because of cost, but use what is available in your stores or already in your pantry. It's easiest to start with pre-quartered but whole or halves is a-okay.
Sometimes you can find just the base of the heart, without the inner leaves. I thought that would be extra delicious, but when I used them in this artichoke spinach pasta bake I found myself missing the way the leaves broke off and mingled throughout the baking dish. My vote is sticking with the basic quartered jarred or canned artichoke hearts.
Fresh Spinach
I have a deep hatred for frozen spinach that I will not apologize for. Its texture is always slimy and tough, and it's been so rudely overcooked that it just tastes of dirty minerals. Pre-washed baby spinach is easy to find and cooks quickly. Just grab a box of that when you're out shopping for artichoke hearts.
Instead of cooking the spinach really, really hard (as they do in this NYT dip recipe), I just let it wilt into the sauce. That's all it needs, you don't have to abuse it.
Cheeses
This spinach artichoke pasta bake does not use cream cheese or sour cream. Let's just get that out of the way. Why? Because that is dip, and this recipe is way more thoughtful and flavorful than just pouring dip on top of noodles. I promise you'll love it.
Cheddar cheese adds a familiar and distinct "cheesiness" as well as some meltiness and body to the sauce. Parmesan cheese adds umami and depth to the cheesy flavor. One slice of white American cheese, an optional ingredient, adds a bit more nostalgia as well as insurance against grainy, lumpy sauces. (American cheese contains a salt called sodium citrate that essentially helps the dairy proteins melt smoothly into sauces, rather than seizing up and turning clumpy.)
Evaporated Skim Milk
The easiest way to get a creamy spinach artichoke sauce without the cream is evaporated milk. It has all the "pros" of both milk and cream, and none of the "cons."
Like regular milk, the lower fat content keeps flavors clearer and brighter than heavy cream. This means that you really taste the artichokes and spinach. Unlike regular milk, you can bring evaporated milk to a boil without it splitting. This means that making a cheese sauce is super low-stress. You don't have to worry about being overly gentle or fussy.
Pasta
My only "rule" here is to use a short pasta. Something with plenty of nooks and crannies to catch the sauce, but also chunky in shape like the pieces of chopped artichoke hearts. I love using large elbows. They are a bigger, more substantial version of the nostalgic regular elbows from the boxed mac and cheese of my childhood. Shells, both medium pasta shells and larger shells, are also a great option, as are rigatoni, penne, and orecchiette.
Breadcrumb Topping
A quick mix of panko, parsley, and parm is a tasty-crispy way to finish off this baked spinach artichoke pasta. It adds a bit of texture and an extra shot of seasoning. However, you don't need it. If you're not a "breadcrumbs on mac and cheese" type of person, feel free to omit.
Basic Method
Cook your pasta
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil, just as you would for a regular pasta recipe. However, when boiling your pasta, keep in mind these three things:
- You don't want your pasta perfectly boiled, because it will continue cooking in the sauce as it bakes. Under-cook it slightly.
- Remember that a proper al dente is often as much as 2 minutes less than indicated on the package. So, since you actually want to under-cook your pasta, you should shoot for as much as 4 or 5 minutes less than indicated on the package.
- Save your pasta water! Its starchy goodness helps create the proper texture of your spinach artichoke sauce.
Make a cheesy sauce
The base of the sauce is a super simple roux. This helps with thickening and stabilization. Just melt the butter and whisk in the flour. Keep whisking for a few minutes, then slowly pour in the evaporated milk.
If you're having trouble pouring slowly while whisking, you can alternate pouring and whisking instead. Pour a splash, whisk until smooth. Repeat until all the milk has been added, then whisk in the cheese until melted.
Once the pasta is cooked, you'll add 1 cup of the cooking water to the sauce to loosen it up.
Bake to perfection
After all the ingredients are combined, you'll dump the whole mess into your baking pan. Top with the breadcrumbs if you like, then pop it in the oven. Since everything is pre-cooked, you're just looking for bubbly, golden goodness. Some ovens heat more from the bottom than the top, so you might need to briefly switch to the broiler to get that beautiful golden top.
Expert Tips and Tricks
Ingredient Swaps
- Cheeses: Instead of cheddar, you can use gruyere, jack, or shredded mozzarella cheese. Keep in mind that milder cheeses like mozzarella and jack will make a much milder (dare I say... bland?!) sauce, so choose wisely and salt accordingly.
- Pasta shapes: Any short, tubular pasta works well, including rigatoni, mezze rigatoni, penne, ziti, and all types of shells. The frilly, twisty short pastas are also excellent here. Try rotini/fusilli, radiatore, farfalle, or campanelle. Long pasta will work in a pinch, but their length will turn your spinach artichoke bake into a sliceable affair, rather than scoopable.
- Artichokes: While you can use frozen thawed artichokes here, I prefer the slight tang that comes from the jarred or canned marinated hearts. It balances the inherent richness of the sauce. If you want to deviate away from the theme entirely, try par-cooked, firm veggies, like summer squash or root veggies.
What to Avoid
- Over-cooking your pasta: Don't boil your pasta to a perfect al dente! It's going to cook a second time in the steamy heat of the sauce, so if your pasta is perfect when you add it to the sauce it will be over-cooked by the time it comes out of the oven.
- Over-baking: The sauce for this spinach artichoke pasta bake is on the soupy side when you pour it into your baking dish. That's by design! As with any pasta bake recipe, it will thicken and reduce as it bakes in the oven, resulting in a creamy but not sloshy final texture. However! If you leave the dish in the oven too long, it will dry everything out.
- Under-seasoning: Even if you properly season your pasta boiling water, you need to season the sauce with "bland" pasta in mind. If the sauce is a little bit aggressive that's perfect--it will be balanced out as it's absorbed by the neutral pasta.
Why this Recipe Works
- Balancing comfort and elegance: This recipe packs in all the flavor without the heaviness. The key to a satisfyingly creamy experience isn't cream. It's all about getting the right balance of textures, so that the ingredients maintain their character and the flavors linger in the mouth. Fat is a key element in this dynamic. It carries fat-soluble flavor molecules and lightly coats the mouth, heightening your perception of the taste. Too much fat, however, will overpower the nuances and make the dish taste flat. By forgoing the cream or cream cheese in traditional dips and cream sauces, we keep the flavors and nuances intact.
FAQs
You can, technically. However, cooked frozen spinach gets cooked a lot more than the spinach in this recipe. Here, the baby spinach is essentially just wilted into the sauce. It doesn't cook hard. The difference in flavor, to me, is quite noticeable. If you use frozen cooked spinach the flavor will be much more iron-y and concentrated, less fresh and lively. If you do opt for frozen, make sure to thaw it and drain it well. Use your best judgement for volume.
You do not, but it will be pretty wet if you don't. Pasta bakes of any kind are best when the sauce starts a bit sloshy. That means that as the sauce evaporates and condenses in the heat of the oven it won't become overly dry.
Yeah. Of course. You do you. But if you're looking for all of the comfort with a bit more elegance and life in each bite, try this simple recipe instead!
I haven't tested a vegan version of this, but if you swap everything with your go-to vegan versions (vegan cheese, vegan butter, etc) then you should be just fine. The only caution is the evaporated milk--I have zero experience with vegan versions of that, so you're on your own there.
I like to scoop some into an oven-safe dish with a lid and gently reheat the pasta in my toaster oven. You can also reheat it in a conventional oven. Either way, a low gentle temp (don't go over 300) is the way to go. You might want to add a sprinkle water for steam and to prevent dryness. If using the microwave, I would still cover your dish, either with microwaveable plastic or a plate. Give it 45 seconds to 1 minute, stir, and repeat until it's the temperature you're looking for.
For this recipe, just use regular water or milk in place of the pasta water. It may thicken slightly differently without the starches in the pasta water, but it won't be a dramatic difference.
Looking for more elegant yet cozy pasta recipes? Try these!
Sardinian Sausage Ragù (Pasta alla Campidanese)
Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Olives, and Garlic
Blistered Tomato Pesto with Toasted Almonds and Anchovies
Pasta with Cabbage, Caraway, and Dill (Russian Piroshki Pasta)
Pan-Seared Cauliflower and Gnocchi in Lemony Miso-Butter Sauce
Recipe: Spinach Artichoke Pasta Bake (aka Spinach Artichoke Mac and Cheese)
Ingredients
- 8 ounces elbow macaroni or other small pasta
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- Pinch ground cayenne or red pepper flakes, Optional
- 12 ounces evaporated skim milk, (1 can)
- 1¼ cups grated cheddar cheese, (3½ ounces)
- ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, (~½ ounce)
- 1 slice white American cheese, Optional, see Extra Notes below
- 6 ounces drained canned artichoke hearts, (1 cup chopped, from a standard 14-ounce can)
- 4 cups baby spinach, chopped, (3 ounces)
Breadcrumb Topping (Optional)
- 2 tablespoons panko
- 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Preparation
- Preheat your oven to 400℉ with a rack in the middle position. Lightly butter an 8x8-inch baking dish and set aside. Or, use your favorite baking pan that has at least an 8-cup volume.
- Step 1Cook your pasta in well-salted water to al dente, keeping in mind that a proper al dente is often as much as 2 minutes less than indicated on the package. When the pasta is finished cooking, reserve 1 cup of pasta water, drain, and set aside.
- Step 2In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat then whisk in the flour. Continue whisking for 1 minute to take the raw edge off the flour, then whisk in the mustard powder and cayenne. Cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds, then gradually whisk in the evaporated milk. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Add the cheddar, Parmesan, and American cheese (if using) and stir until smooth. Whisk in all of the reserved pasta water to make a loose sauce. Mix in the artichoke hearts and chopped spinach. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, then fold in the cooked pasta. Transfer to the buttered baking dish.
- Step 3Make the breadcrumb topping: In a small bowl, mix the panko, Parmesan, chopped parsley, and garlic powder.Sprinkle over the top of the mac and cheese, then transfer the baking dish to the oven. Bake until the crumb topping is golden brown, about 15 minutes.
Extra Notes:
This post may contain affiliate links. There is no cost to you, but if you buy something from these links I may earn a small commission, which helps keep my stove hot and small pantry stocked–thank you!
The Porch Life says
Really like all the tips and tricks that come with these recipes. Always enjoy reading your posts!
Julia @ Small Pantry says
Thank you!! That's so so nice to hear!