Dig into a sumptuous bowl of spinach and artichoke pasta. This creamy one-pot sensation takes under 20 minutes to make! Try not to eat the whole pot in one sitting.
When I'm in a hurry but want a healthy dinner, a one-pot spinach artichoke pasta recipe is my favorite. Even though I love to cook, sometimes, I don't have time. Because we are all busy, I developed several one-pot meals, similar to spinach artichoke pasta, to keep it healthy but quick and convenient. Not only is spinach artichoke pasta cooked in one pot, it only takes 20 minutes!
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To make spinach artichoke pasta, the only prep work required is chopping some vegetables. Besides that, once everything cooks in one pot, you cover it and walk away. As a result, a savory, creamy spinach artichoke pasta recipe comes together in minutes with little to no effort.
So, if you don't like to cook, vegan artichoke pasta is for you!
Ingredients
- Garlic: Chopped raw garlic has a pungent taste and odor. But when whole cloves are simmered or roasted, the heat transforms the alliin into new, larger molecules before they meet the alliinase. This new structure gives the garlic a soft, sweet buttery flavor that surprises many first-time eaters.
- Onion: White onions have a strong, sharp, and not very sweet flavor and should be used sparingly by themselves when raw. When cooked, however, they transform into a caramelized savory flavor.
- Soy Sauce: Soy sauce provides salt, sweet, umami (savory), and even a little bitter flavor.
- Baby Portobello Mushrooms: Portobello mushrooms have a wonderfully earthy flavor that is often described as meaty. They taste similar to cremini mushrooms or button mushrooms but have a richer and more intense umami flavor.
- Rosemary: Rosemary is one of the most aromatic herbs and has an equally intense taste. The flavor is lemony and pine-like.
- Artichoke Hearts: Artichokes have a similar taste to asparagus and brussels sprouts with a mild nutty flavor. Because of their texture and flavor, people also compare them to celery and celeriac. I use artichoke hearts in brine or water.
- Nutritional Yeast: Nutritional yeast has a unique savory flavor that resembles cheese, making it an excellent alternative for adding flavor without salt, sugar, or fat. Some people say it adds a nutty flavor to foods.
- Black Pepper: I prefer fresh ground pepper.
- Pasta of Choice: (gluten-free, if the desired*) I used whole grain Rigatoni, but choose any pasta shape you enjoy.
- Vegetable Broth: The best vegetable broth has a balanced flavor and more body than the average glass of water.
Ingredients Added After Cooking
- Lemon Juice: Lemon juice adds a light, fresh citrus taste. I prefer fresh lemon juice.
- Baby Spinach: The spinach wilts in the hot pasta immediately and requires little to no cooking.
- Grape Tomatoes: I like grape tomatoes because they have fewer seeds and thicker skin, so they hold up well when heated and keep their intense flavor.
- Red Chili Flakes: Red chili flakes add a slightly spicy note of flavor and enhance the other ingredients in the pasta dish.
- Raw Cashews: Raw cashews are combined with the vegetable broth to make cashew cream that thickens the pasta recipe right at the end of cooking.
- Vegetable Broth: The vegetable broth is combined with the cashews and blended to make cashew cream.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Choose red onion, shallots, or green onions for a sweet or lighter onions flavor.
- Use Tamari instead of soy sauce or a gluten-free option. Or, try low-sodium soy sauce for less sodium.
- Try cremini or shitake mushrooms as a substitute for portobello mushrooms.
- I used canned artichoke hearts in water or brine, but artichokes are also sold frozen in the vegetable section of the freezer section.
- Thyme or sage can work as a substitute for rosemary.
- White miso is a substitute for nutritional yeast.
- Choose gluten-free pasta to make the dish gluten-free, but cook the pasta separately and reduce the fluid by ½.
- Choose any greens such as arugula for a peppery taste, or kale for a sturdier green.
- For a nut-free option, replace the cashews with flour or gluten-free flour, or substitute silent tofu or white beans for the nuts.
How to Make the Pasta Recipe
As with many of my recipes, it's all about cooking in layers.
First, I saute the garlic and onions until translucent and then add the mushrooms, cooking them down until the mushrooms are browned.
Since I don't cook with oil, I often use a little water or vegetable broth to prevent sticking.
Next, I add the chopped artichokes and rosemary and stir until combined.
Next, add the dry pasta, and cover with the vegetable broth. Then, stir, bring to a boil, cover, and reduce to simmer for 13 minutes.
In the meantime, prepare the cashew cream, which is a combination of raw cashews and vegetable broth blended together.
Once the 13-minute timer buzzes, indicating the pasta is cooked, simply pour the cashew cream into the pot, stir, and then add the tomatoes, spinach, red pepper flakes, and lemon juice.
The final step is to allow it to cook for a couple of minutes, and then you are ready to eat! 20 minutes and done!
I just love one-pot meals like vegan spinach artichoke pasta. As a result, this spinach artichoke pasta recipe is creamy, savory, and full of vegetables with very little pasta.
Additionally, it reheats well the next day for leftovers! At my house, however, we rarely have leftovers!
Recipe FAQs
That pot may be a wok, a Dutch Oven, a skillet, or tagine, but everything is prepared in that one vessel and the melded flavors combine to produce something extraordinary.
Most packaged pasta—including spaghetti, rotini, and any other type—is 100 percent vegan. To know for sure, simply check the ingredients on your package! Sometimes, you might see "egg" listed as an ingredient in "fresh" pasta, so avoid those—but generally, pasta contains no animal-derived ingredients.
Plant-based pasta contains more fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals than conventional pasta, but they're not as healthy as eating the whole food version. The reason is the flours that make pasta are inherently more processed than the natural, whole-food version (meaning they're stripped of nutritional value).
Tips
- Assemble ingredients, cut vegetables, and measure ingredients before you start, because everything cooks in stages quickly.
- One-pot meals have so many advantages other than just the easy clean-up.
- Cook ingredients in stages, so they are not under or overcooked.
- Plan ahead and meal prep for easier, more convenient cooking.
- Add other desired vegetables or swap out ones you have in the refrigerator.
My family loves vegan spinach artichoke pasta with crusty bread to drag around in the bottom of the bowl.
Other Great Pasta Recipes
If you love this spinach artichoke pasta, give us a 5-star review and comment below. We would love to hear from you.
📖 Recipe
Spinach Artichoke Pasta
Ingredients
- 3 cloves Garlic Minced
- 1 large sweet onion cut into slivers
- 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce or Tamari
- 16 ounces sliced baby Bella mushrooms baby portobello mushrooms
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary stem removed, chopped
- 15 ounces quartered artichoke hearts in water from a can, drained, cut into small pieces
- ¼ cup Nutritional Yeast
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 16 ounce pasta of choice gluten free, if desired* I used penne
- 4 cups vegetable broth
Set Aside and Add After Cooking
- Juice of ½ Lemon
- 8 ounce fresh baby spinach chopped
- 1 cup grape tomatoes cut in half
- 1 Pinch Red Chili Flakes if you don't like heat, skip it
- ¼ cup raw cashews soaked overnight, and rinsed (or substitute flour, silken tofu or white beans for a nut-free otpion)
- ½ cup vegetable broth
Instructions
Pasta
- In a non-stick 3 quart pot, sauté garlic and onion until just tender, about 30 seconds.
- Add sliced mushrooms and cook with garlic and onion; add a little vegetable broth to prevent sticking.
- Add rosemary and soy sauce and sauté until golden brown.
- Add the veggie broth, elbow macaroni, nutritional yeast and artichokes, cover the pan with the lid and bring to a boil.
- DO NOT add spinach, tomatoes, chili flakes, lemon juice or cashews until after cooking is complete
- Once it's boiling, lower the heat and let simmer for 13 minutes (depending on how al dente/soft you want the pasta to be).
Cashew Cream
- While pasta is cooking take ½ cup raw cashews, drained and add ½ cup water.
- Blend in a blender cup until smooth
- Set aside.
Add Final Ingredients
- 11 minutes into cooking, add in the chili flakes, lemon juice, tomatoes and spinach, Continue cooking until it's done.
- When its done cooking, stir in cashew cream.
Notes
- Choose a pan large enough to accommodate the ingredients.
- Because everything cooks in one pot in under 30 minutes, cut and measure all the vegetables and ingredients before you begin cooking.
- Cook in stages as suggested, so everything cooks evenly and isn't underdone or overdone.
- If using gluten-free pasta, cook the pasta separately in water, drain and rinse. Reduce the fluid by ½ for other ingredients. Then, add the pasta at the end and stir.
- For a nut-free option, choose flour, gluten-free flour, and beans or silken tofu to replace the cashews.
- The pasta will thicken after adding the cashew cream. Continue stirring until it thickens to your desired consistency.
Nutrition
Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂
Maya
If I'm using gf noodles do you meant to cut the 4 cups of vegetable broth in half?
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Maya, I suggest you cook the gluten-free noodles separately because the water is often gummy. For that reason, I cut the broth in half for the rest of the recipe and then added the noodles at the end.
Christine Mcmahan
Hi Kathy, this is delicious! I wondered if you ever tried it cold? Might be a good lunch to take on the go but would have to eat cold. Love all your recipes!
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Christine, yes, I love cold pasta as much as I like cold pizza! The sauce thickens when cold, but I like it like that. I'm so glad you enjoy the recipes. I appreciate the feedback. Thank you 🙂
Laurie Jircitano
I'd love to make this but with silken tofu. Do I still add 1/2 c. water to it before blending? You didn't explain how to do the substitutes. I've made something similar but this sounds easier and not as fattening. Can't wait to try it. Thank you.
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Laurie, great question. It depends if you use the silken firm or the silken regular. If you use the silken regular (the one that is very thin), you do not use any water. If you use the firm version, you all the water.
Anonymous
Natalie Henry
LOVED this one. Easy and tasty. A winning combination.
Anonymous
Anonymous
Janine
I made this tonight. It was beyond delicious. I have been eating plant based since the beginning of the year and this was one of the best recipes yet!
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Janine, I am so glad you liked it. I am posting a cajun one-pot pasta recipe this week that was really good too. Thank you so much for reaching out. Please let me know if you try any other recipes you enjoy! Stay safe and healthy.