You will love this delicious Creamy Vegan Spinach & Artichoke Pasta Bake recipe. It’s like having spinach and artichoke dip, but for dinner!… And with pasta…carbs…I mean all the good stuff!
It’s fresh yet oh so creamy, fancy yet very easy to make any day of the week, and as tasty as can be. It’s basically the same concept as a restaurant-style spinach & artichoke dip but served as a pasta bake. I use tofu for the creamy base in this one for a nut-free version, but if you can’t eat soy, but can eat nuts, simply use cashew nuts to replace the tofu.
This pasta bake is a great dish for an easy weeknight dinner, but as it is such a crowd-pleaser, it would also be perfect for a big party!
Many creamy vegan pasta dishes rely on soaked blended cashews for that perfect silky texture. Here I wanted to offer you a nut-free version so we use tofu. My tofu-based sauce has the same smooth consistency as cashews with zero prep effort as you don’t have to remember soaking the nuts and the dish only has a fraction of the fat and calories.
The silken tofu and non-dairy milk make the sauce so sinfully creamy, and the nutritional yeast adds such a wonderful cheesy flavor.
To really give the umami notes in this dish a boost, I added a small amount of miso paste and I recommend you do the same. It’s just so good.
On to the obvious main players in this recipe: We pack a good 5 oz of spinach and an entire can of artichokes in there. I don’t have to tell you just how well those two go together.
Do let me know how you found this Creamy Vegan Spinach & Artichoke Pasta Bake if you do try it though! And if there was anything you tried or something that worked better…Do drop me a comment below, or you can find me/message me directly on Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, or Facebook! I love seeing what my lovely readers think of my recipes!
Also, I would really appreciate it if you check out my very first E-Book, it’s a 70-page book, full of beautiful, easy, and delicious vegan recipes! Click HERE to find out more!
Creamy Vegan Spinach & Artichoke Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 8oz/ 225g pasta, such as shells, penne
- 5oz 140g spinach (thawed if frozen, finely chopped if fresh)
- 14 oz/400g can of artichoke hearts drained and chopped
- Sauce:
- 1 tsp oil
- 1/2 onion finely chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic finely chopped
- 7oz 200g firm tofu or silken tofu
- 1 1/4 cup/300ml of dairy-free milk such as almond, oat, or soy
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp ground mustard
- 1/2 tsp dried basil or dill
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp miso
- Topping:
- 1/4 cup/30g breadcrumbs
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp dried Italian herbs such as oregano thyme, rosemary
- a good dash of salt
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to instruction and set aside. thaw the spinach if using frozen. Chop the artichoke hearts.
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add minced onions, garlic, and a pinch of salt and cook until golden.
- Transfer them to a blender with the rest of the sauce ingredients and blend everything until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Add the cooked pasta, spinach, chopped artichokes, and the blended sauce in a bowl. Toss to mix well.
- Add the mixture onto a baking dish.
- Sprinkle the pasta with breadcrumbs, pepper flakes, herbs, and a little salt. For the perfect brown topping, spray or drizzle with some olive oil.
- Bake the pasta at 400 F (205 C) for 22 mins.
- Remove the dish from the oven, and serve.
Video
Notes
Store: Cool completely and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- As the pasta will bake in the sauce for an additional 20 minutes, you absolutely get away with undercooking the pasta a bit. At least make sure you don't overcook them before baking as they might turn too soft.
- For some added spice, add in some chopped green chiles or jalapeños halfway through sauteeing the onions.
- If you are using marinated canned artichokes, you might not need to add that many dried herbs.
- Feel free to add a dash of Cajun seasoning for a Southern twist.
- You could serve this vegan spinach pasta topped with sliced green onions for fancy date night presentation.
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