Spinach and Artichoke Pasta Recipe
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
Today’s delicious post is sponsored by Reynolds®. In case you haven’t noticed, we use their products in probably half of our recipes. Hello parchment paper, baking cups and aluminum foil! So when they asked if I wanted to try their new product, I was like “Yargs yes! I want to try them!” But, not in those words exactly because I didn’t want to sound unprofessional ofcourse.
Let’s talk creamy spinach artichoke pasta. My spinach and artichoke dip is arguably one of the most popular spinach and artichoke dip recipes on Pinterest (Pinned over 1,200,000 times). Everyone loves it!
One of my readers, Joan, wrote in saying, “I threw away every other recipe I had for spinach and artichoke dip once I tasted this one! Fabulous!” Then she suggested I try it with penne pasta and went on and on about how great it was. So I did. Then I wrote a song; “Joan, your pasta was awesome and really saucesome.
Thanks for sharing it with me, it’s so yummy…” I’m really glad you’re reading that instead of hearing it. But seriously I’ve got this rhyming thing down pat! Can you tell I just ate a big bowl of spinach and artichoke pasta? 
Ingredients for Spinach and Artichoke Pasta:
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
10 oz fresh spinach (*see note on substitutions for using frozen)
4 oz cream cheese, cut into pieces
1 cup (8 oz) sour cream
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
2 cans (15 oz each) quartered artichoke hearts (not marinated), well drained
4 oz can diced jalapeños, drained (optional)
1 large or 2 small garlic cloves pressed
16 oz penne pasta with 1 cup reserved pasta cooking liquid
On substitutions:
I cut the original spinach and artichoke dip recipe in half and it was plenty for this pasta sauce. * Also, I used fresh spinach but you can totally use frozen, just be sure to thaw it and squeeze out the excess moisture with your hands. If using frozen, you can skip step 2 and add the spinach in at step 4. You may use reduced fat cream cheese or low fat sour cream.
How to Make Spinach Artichoke Pasta:
1.Cook pasta in a large pot of salted water to desired doneness (I added 1/2 Tbsp salt for a soup pot half filled with water. Drain pasta and reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water (DON’T FORGET).
2. In a large pot, melt 2 Tbsp butter over medium heat. Once hot, add spinach and stir until slightly wilted. The spinach wilts fast (about 1 minute) and I might have overdone it because I was snapping the picture rather than removing it right away. Notice how much it shrinks – wild eh?! Transfer wilted spinach to a colander and let it drain while preparing the rest of the recipe.
3. Add 4 Tbsp butter to the same now empty pot along with 4 oz cream cheese cut into pieces, 1 cup sour cream and 1 cup parmesan and stir until everything melts together and starts to bubble.
4. Stir in drained artichokes and cook an additional 1-2 min then add drained spinach, pressed garlic and jalapeños (if using). Cook until hot then toss in the cooked, drained pasta. Stir in reserved pasta water if desired (I added at least 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking liquid – this makes the sauce a little lighter and creamier and helps to keep the pasta moist when it’s reheated).
This pasta reheats well. Transfer into Reynolds® heat & eat disposable containers and you’ll have lunch for work or an after school lunch date with your son :).
I also use them as to-go containers for sending leftovers home with family or friends. You can freeze, refrigerate and microwave your food right in these containers (just be sure to remove the lid before microwaving). And I love that they are BPA free and made of renewable plant fibers; a safe alternative to plastic. Just to clarify though, don’t eat the container.
Tip: If you’re reheating in the microwave, sprinkle your food with a bit of water and it will turn out so much better and juicier.
Spinach and Artichoke Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
- 10 oz fresh spinach, *see note on substitutions for using frozen
- 4 oz cream cheese, cut into pieces (reduced fat is ok)
- 1 cup 8 oz sour cream ("light" sour cream is ok)
- 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 2 cans, 15 oz each quartered artichoke hearts, well drained
- 4 oz can diced jalapeños, drained (optional)
- 1 large or 2 small garlic cloves pressed
- 16 oz penne pasta with 1 cup reserved pasta cooking liquid
Instructions
-
Cook pasta in a large pot of salted water to desired doneness (I added 1/2 Tbsp salt for a soup pot half filled with water. Drain pasta and reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water (DONT FORGET).
-
In a large pot, melt 2 Tbsp butter over medium heat. Once hot, add spinach and stir until slightly wilted. The spinach wilts fast (about 1 minute) and I might have overdone it because I was snapping the picture rather than removing it right away. Notice how much it shrinks - wild eh?! Transfer wilted spinach to a colander and let it drain while preparing the rest of the recipe.
-
Add 4 Tbsp butter to the same now empty pot along with 4 oz cream cheese cut into pieces, 1 cup sour cream and 1 cup parmesan and stir until everything melts together and starts to bubble.
-
Stir in drained artichokes and cook an additional 1-2 min then add drained spinach, pressed garlic and jalapeños (if using). Cook until hot then toss in the cooked, drained pasta. Stir in reserved pasta water if desired (I added at least 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking liquid - this makes the sauce a little lighter and creamier and helps to keep the pasta moist when it's reheated).
Recipe Notes
On substitutions: I cut the original spinach and artichoke dip recipe in half and it was plenty for this pasta sauce. * Also, I used fresh spinach but you can totally use frozen, just be sure to thaw it and squeeze out the excess moisture with your hands. If using frozen, you can skip step 2 and add the spinach in at step 4.
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
Full disclosure, because it’s the law: Reynolds® sent me their containers to try (they even packaged them in a pretend microwave that my son swiftly claimed). All opinions are my own and I think these containers are great! All you chickens should stock up (we call the kids “chickens” so really it is a very endearing term, you’ll just have to take my word for it). Reynolds® heat and eat disposable containers are sold at Target, come in 2 sizes and are only $3.99 per stack.
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Thank you Natasha for this recipe!! I will make it for Father’s day!! I needed a pasta dish, the crew is tired of rice..lol lol
You’re welcome, I hope he loves it!
I made this earlier in the day and let it come together for several hours in the fridge. I served it refrigerated cold with barbecue ribs and it was delicious served cold like a picnic salad. Thank you for the recipe.
You’re welcome, Glenda. Great to hear that you enjoyed it!
Thank you Glenda, I needed this!!! Making a Smorgesburg for Father’s Day…
I’m going to be making this tomorrow it looks sooooo good. Does this have to be baked at all?
Hi AJ, no need for this recipe, I just have another recipe which is the Baked Spinach and Artichoke dip.
So good!
Thanks for your good feedback, Jen!
I’ve been dying to try artichoke hearts in something for dinner strange reason, but couldn’t find an easy enough recipe to try. Thank you! for this delicious recipe. Not only was it simple, but OMG was it tasty and surprisingly light. Definitely a favorite from now on. Even my teenage daughter fell in love with this alternative to the usual Alfredo.
Hello Pilar, that makes me so happy reading your comments and review. Thank you so much for sharing!
INatasha, you are my go-to blog for recipes. This one is a favorite! here are some more ideas: brown the artichokes a bit in a skillet before adding; instead of jalapenos, try a pinch of cayenne pepper, pan fry chicken and add if you want a heartier dish. adding some carmelized onion is always a hit in our house.
Hi Julie! I’m so glad you’re enjoying our blog! Thank you for sharing those tips with me!
Natasha, I just cooked it, it is absolutely amazing. All my family members love it!! One of your many receipts that will be a repeat in our house!!
Thanks from Australia!!
Awesome, thanks for your great feedback, Nina. Take care and stay safe!
Hello Natasha!
I would love to add this in my family recipe. I have a question though, can I use frozen artichokes ( this is what I have now) How do I add it in cooking? Thanks!
Hi Meg. I haven’t tried it with frozen but I think that can work. Thawing them may be a good idea.
Natasha, you nailed it! This recipe was delicious. The flavors were wonderful. I look forward to trying your spinach artichoke recipe.
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you Carla!
Making this tonight!! Thank you for the recipe, I was going to mix everything with alfredo sauce…wing it style until I saw this recipe 😊
I hope you love it!
Really wonderful recipe!
Thank you for the wonderful review! I’m glad you enjoyed it, Masha!
SO good!!! Thank you for this and all your other delicious recipes
You’re welcome Genya! I’m glad to hear you’re enjoying the recipes. Thanks for following and sharing your review!
Omitted jalapeños but followed recipe otherwise. Very easy recipe & quick. Not a lot of prep or cook time. Flavorful & even better the next day. If anything, may add mushrooms next time.
I’m glad to hear how much you enjoy the recipe Lisa! Thanks for sharing your great review!
Omitted jalapeños and added 1tsp dried basil and a little pepper. Only had marinated artichokes so rinsed them well to get most the oil off. Fresh off the stove I thought it was good. But the next day it was amazing! The flavors really blend sitting overnight. Put your leftovers in a pan and top with some shredded mozzarella and Parmesan. I can’t stop eating it.
I’m happy to hear how much you enjoy the recipe Julie! Thanks for sharing your fantastic review!
This dish is so good! Honestly people, if you’re deciding on whether to make this for dinner or not, JUST DO IT!!! No regrets. It’s very cheesy, full of flavor, and the bits of jalapeno add a really nice spiciness that pairs very well with the rest of the flavors. This would make a really great dip as well! Thank you so much for the recipe! I’m a college student and was searching for a pasta dish that was easy to make, that looked and sounded very impressive. This recipe deserves more 5 stars and more positive reviews! Thank you for the recipe! 🙂
Jay, thank you for such a nice review, I enjoyed reading your comment. I’m so glad you liked it!
Will try this tonight!! Can I substitute in Greek yogurt for the sour cream?
Yes, you can substitute. I did so in my light spinach and artichoke dip.
This recipe is delicious! My whole family devoured the entire meal. My daughter even ate it as a dip before I could even get the pasta cooked. Thank you for sharing your recipe. Will definitely be making this again.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
it looks amazing. I know what I am cooking tonight. Thank you !
I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
Really tasty. Thanks
I’m so glad you like it!!
Thank you for this great recipe. I have fresh artichokes. Can I use them instead of canned artichoke hearts?Kind regards
Hi Irina, you you can cook and use your own artichoke hearts. 🙂
this looks amazing, I love doing different things for my family. Have you added chicken ? Do you think it will change the flavor or consistency
I haven’t added chicken but one of my readers has and reported good results 🙂 I think it would work well.
Thank you, I have a rotisserie chicken so I’m going to venture with it. I’ll let you know
Rotisserie would be great and easy too! Let me know how it goes 🙂
Natasha, The rotisserie chicken was a great touch. My family loved it they couldn’t stop eating. Thank you for an amazing recipe. It’s a keeper
Thank you so much for sharing that with me! 🙂
So easy, quick and delicious! I didn’t have all the ingredient I needed, but already started cooking. So, I subbed a lot of things, they still turn out so good. Usually pasta is boring to me, not spicy enough. But, the jalapeño gives a really nice kick! I used mozzarella cheese and grated parmesan cheese since I didn’t have parmesan cheese. Also, a little bit of homemade greek yogurt and cottage cheese instead of sour cream. It was so delicious! I had it again tonight. Can’t stop eating it! Haha. Thank you!! God bless you! 🙂
I’m so happy you enjoyed it! Thanks for the great review! 🙂 blessings to you also!
Recognized one of your recipes while I was reading this buzzfeed article!
I didn’t even know about this feature. How cool! And this article is pretty funny. Thanks for sharing!
If I wanted to add chicken to this recipe, would you recommend just cooking it on the stove top in bits and add it to the pasta?
Can’t wait to try this,
Thank you!
You could do that but I’ve always thought the juiciest chicken is when it is cooked in whole pieces and then sliced against the grain :).
Spinach and artichokes are my two most FAVORITE vegetables!! 🙂
I hope you’ll love this pasta :D.
I will definitely have to try making this pasta dish. Can you tell me where you buy the canned artichoke hearts? I’ve been using the marinated artichoke hearts from Costco that come in the big glass jars. I can’t seem to find the canned kind anytime I look for them.
Olga, I got them in the canned vegetable isle at Fred Meyer. I also seen them at Walmart.
I have to check this container out. Love that they are BPA free. The pasta looks delicious too. The son date picture is adorable! 🙂
Thank you so much Valya 🙂
You are hilarious! 😀 Can’t wait to see your new video format.
Haha thanks. I’m excited about it! It should be our next post 🙂
Hi, Natasha ! I ‘ve used many recipes from your website , they all came out just perfect, so I trust you a lot . thank you for your hard work, you help me a lot , when I dont know what to cook.. Please, please, do you have good checken alfredo recipe you can share ?
Thank you,
Yuliya
I do have a lighter chicken and mushroom Alfredo that my mom taught me to make. She learned how to make it in culinary school and it uses half-and-half instead of heavy cream and it is very good. Have you tried that one?
Love your sense of humor! The pasta looks delish!!
🙂 thank you, thank you 😉
Comforting, healthy, delicious.
I’m sold!
It looks like I had you at “hello” 😉
Thank you for sharing the info about the containers! I definitely will have to check these out since they’re plastic free and BPA free. I typically use glass pyrex containers but this would be a great alternative. The recipe looks awesome too!
I was the same way until I discovered these but the glass ones are very heavy to lug around. These are very convenient for sure! 🙂