This creamy spinach artichoke pasta bake is loaded with spinach, artichokes, garlic, and plenty of cheese for an easy vegetarian dinner that tastes like your favorite dip in pasta form.
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email below and get it sent straight to your inbox. Plus, I'll send you easy and delicious recipes every week!
This creamy spinach and artichoke pasta turns the flavors of classic spinach artichoke dip into a hearty baked pasta dinner. I use sour cream and heavy cream instead of cream cheese for a sauce that's rich but still tangy, with Parmesan, mozzarella, plenty of garlic, and lemon to balance the richness.
The key is cooking the rigatoni just until al dente and adding reserved pasta water before baking so the finished pasta stays creamy rather than dry.
If you love veggie-forward pasta dinners, try my pasta bake with broccoli, easy mushroom stroganoff, or creamy green pasta with basil next.
Jump to:
⭐️ Why You'll Love This Baked Spinach ARtichoke Pasta
- Creamy without cream cheese. Sour cream and heavy cream create a silky, tangy sauce.
- Big spinach-artichoke flavor. Garlic, Parmesan, lemon, spinach, and artichokes give you the flavor of the classic dip.
- 21g protein per serving. A nice bonus for a meatless pasta dinner!
- Make-ahead friendly. Assemble it up to 24 hours before baking.
🧀 Ingredient Notes
- Spinach: Fresh baby spinach works beautifully. Frozen spinach also works, but thaw it and squeeze it very dry first.
- Artichoke hearts: Use canned artichoke hearts packed in water and drain them well. Because this pasta is already rich, I prefer them over oil-packed artichokes.
- Sour cream: Adds tang and creaminess without the dense texture of cream cheese. You can also substitute Greek yogurt.
- Parmesan + mozzarella: Parmesan seasons and thickens the sauce; mozzarella gives you the bubbly, melted topping.
- Lemon juice: It cuts through the rich dairy and keeps the sauce from tasting flat.
- Rigatoni: Ideal because its ridges and tubes hold onto the creamy sauce. Penne, fusilli, or rotini also work.
🔪 How to Make Spinach Artichoke Pasta
*For a printable version, see recipe card below.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
In a large frying pan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add diced onion and cook for 7-8 minutes, until softened and translucent. Add garlic, salt, and pepper, and cook for another minute.
Add fresh spinach, tossing until wilted. Pour in the heavy cream and sour cream or Greek yogurt. Give it a good stir, and reduce heat to simmer for 5 minutes.
Add the artichoke hearts, Parmesan cheese, and fresh lemon juice. Mix into spinach mixture, and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to (al dente) package instructions. (The pasta will continue to cook in the oven, and we want to avoid mushy pasta!)
Drain the pasta and reserve 1 cup of pasta water. Add pasta to the creamy spinach mixture along with the reserved pasta water (this will help the sauce stick to the pasta), and stir until well combined.
Transfer pasta mixture to a 9"x13" baking dish (it also fits snugly into an 8"x12" dish) and top with mozzarella cheese and red pepper flakes (if using).
Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the sides are bubbly and the cheese starts to turn golden brown on top. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
👩🏻🍳 Tips For the Best Creamy Pasta Bake
- Undercook the pasta slightly. It continues cooking in the oven.
- Don't skip the pasta water. Its starch helps emulsify the sauce while providing enough moisture to keep the pasta creamy.
- Use freshly grated cheese. Pre-shredded mozzarella contains anti-caking agents and won't melt quite as smoothly.
- Let it rest for 5 minutes. This allows the sauce to settle and thicken without becoming dry.
Make Ahead, Storage, & Reheating
- Make ahead: Assemble up to 24 hours ahead, cover, and refrigerate until ready to bake.
- Store: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freeze: Freeze completely cooled pasta for up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Reheat: Cover and warm at 350°F for 15-20 minutes. Add a splash of milk or water if the pasta looks dry.
🍝 More Vegetarian Pasta Recipes
Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also stay in touch with me through social media by following me on Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, and Facebook.
Subscribe to my email newsletter to get a FREE e-book of 15 Healthy Weeknight Recipes, and get new recipes delivered to your inbox every week!
Spinach Artichoke Pasta Bake Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons salted butter
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 8 garlic cloves, chopped finely
- pinch of salt and ground black pepper
- 10 ounces fresh baby spinach or frozen spinach that has been thawed and drained
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
- 14 ounce can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 16 ounces (1 pound) rigatoni pasta
- 1 cup reserved pasta water
- 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
- large pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a large frying pan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add diced onion and cook for 7-8 minutes, until softened and translucent. Add garlic, salt, and pepper, and cook for another minute.
- Add fresh spinach, tossing until wilted.
- Pour in the heavy cream and sour cream or Greek yogurt. Give it a good stir, and reduce heat to simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add the artichoke hearts, Parmesan cheese, and fresh lemon juice. Mix into spinach mixture, and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to (al dente) package instructions. (The pasta will continue to cook in the oven, and we want to avoid mushy pasta!)
- Drain the pasta and reserve 1 cup of pasta water. Add pasta to the creamy spinach mixture along with the reserved pasta water (this will help the sauce stick to the pasta), and stir until well combined.
- Transfer pasta mixture to a 9"x13" baking dish and top with mozzarella cheese and red pepper flakes (if using).
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the sides are bubbly and the cheese starts to turn golden brown on top. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
-
- Storage: Cover and store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
-
- Make ahead. Assemble pasta casserole and store in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Bake according to instructions.
Barb says
This dish looks so rich and comforting! It will be great for the upcoming cold weather. Thank you!
MaryAnne says
Yes, it's a hearty dish! I hope you love it!