Creamy Spinach Artichoke Pasta

What’s not to love about this creamy Spinach Artichoke Pasta?!

It’s checking all the boxes for us. Creamy, cheesy, luscious, easy to make and oh, did I mention cheesy?!

It tastes just like your favorite spinach artichoke dip making this a dangerously delicious pasta.

Creamy pasta recipes are kind of a thing in our house and I’m guessing if you’re here, they are in your house too! You’ll love adding this One Pot Creamy Chicken Marsala pasta and this Chicken Alfredo Pasta Bake to your weekly pasta rotation.

In this easy weeknight meal, the orecchiette pasta gets tossed in a cheesy sauce filled with chopped baby spinach, artichoke hearts, grated parmesan cheese and cream cheese.

Dive in as is or enjoy with chicken breasts, ground turkey or ground beef, sausage or enjoy with baked salmon. Any way you enjoy it, you’ll be swimming in a meal of deliciousness.

Ingredient Notes

You can scroll down to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and measurements.

The star ingredients of the show are:

• Orecchiette Pasta: We love using this shape because we feel it captures the cheesy sauce so well, but feel free to use any small pasta shape: Penne, Ziti, Shells, Farfalle, Fussili etc.
• Spinach: You’ll need fresh spinach or fresh baby spinach. I have not personally tested this recipe with frozen chopped spinach but I think it would work just fine. Be sure to thaw it and squeeze out any excess moisture.
• Artichoke hearts: Using the canned artichoke hearts is perfect for this, just be sure to drain them and then chop em’ up!
• Cream cheese: Any cream cheese works well: low fat, reduced rat, etc. It’s best added to the sauce when it’s at room temperature.
• Greek yogurt: Instead of sour cream, we’re using a full fat, plain Greek yogurt. It adds so much creaminess to the sauce!
• Grated parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese: freshly grated is best!

Step by Step Directions

Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the full recipe instructions.

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium high heat and cook the pasta according to package instructions. (al dente recommended) Be sure to reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining cooked pasta.
2. Add pasta to a 9×13 inch baking dish and set aside.
3. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Saute onions then add in garlic and seasonings.
4. Add in spinach, stir until wilted. Then add in chopped artichokes, stir.
5. Add in the cream cheese, freshly grated parmesan cheese, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, and milk/cornstarch mixture. Stir until melted and smooth.
6. Lastly add in pasta water and mozzarella cheese. Simmer, then remove from heat.
7. Toss the spinach artichoke mixture with the cooked pasta noodles. Top with more mozzarella cheese if desired.
8. Bake for 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Tips and Variations

• Balance the meal by adding protein: cooked chicken, ground meat, crumbled bacon, shrimp or sausage are all great options. I would stir it in right before you bake everything! (Be sure to cook meat/fish prior to adding in)
• Feel free to add your favorite herbs to the sauce: fresh basil, rosemary, Italian seasoning, etc.
• Add more veggies: when sautéing the onions, chopped mushrooms or sun dried tomatoes.
• Don’t forget to reserve 1 cup of the pasta water before you drain it. This starch-rich water helps the sauce stick to the noodles and we want that yummy cheesy sauce to bind to the orecchiette!
• Use any small noodle shape, and use a gluten free noodle or veggie pasta if desired.
• When reheating pasta, you may need to add a little water, broth or milk to thin out the sauce.
• Experiment garnishing with different cheeses like goat cheese or feta cheese.

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