Spinach Artichoke Pasta
on Mar 29, 2026
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Ready in 30 minutes, this spinach artichoke pasta is an easy vegetarian dinner recipe. While the artichokes are in the oven, I quickly make spinach pesto and simmer the pasta. Then I stir everything together and serve it with a salad.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This is everything you want in a simple weeknight dinner. You can overlap the steps by making the pesto and cooking the pasta right before the artichokes are done roasting.
Pesto is a quick no-cook sauce that has tons of flavor. It always works so well with pasta and roasted vegetables. I take the same approach with my cauliflower spinach orecchiette.
Roasting the artichokes really boosts their flavor. I use a can of quartered artichokes, so there’s no cutting or prep other than tossing them with oil, salt and pepper before I roast them.
The Ingredients
This is what you need:
- Artichokes are great straight from the can, but they’re even better roasted because they brown and caramelize in the oven.
- Pasta: Short shapes like cavatappi, penne and orecchiette work best because they pick up the spinach pesto, and they work with the size of the artichoke hearts.
- Spinach: I love classic basil pesto, but here I use baby spinach for the greens. You can substitute with arugula for a more peppery taste or include a mix of both.
- Walnuts: To bring out the flavor of the nuts, toast them on a sheet pan in a 350-degree F oven for 5-7 minutes. This is something I like to do in big batches right after I bring them home from the grocery, so then I’m ready to throw toasted nuts into salads and other dishes.
- Garlic: The recipe calls for 2 garlic cloves. Depending on your garlic tolerance/love, you can use 1 or 3 cloves.
- Parmesan: Like traditional pesto, this version has grated parmesan cheese. I also use it for garnish. If you’re vegan, leave out the cheese and sprinkle the finished dish with nutritional yeast.
- Lemon adds a bright and fresh finish to the pesto, and it’s perfect with the garlic and parmesan in the recipe.
- Olive oil, kosher salt & black pepper are the pantry ingredients in the pesto. Since this is a no-cook sauce, use high-quality extra virgin olive oil for the best taste. You will also need these ingredients for roasting the artichokes.
How To Make This Spinach Artichoke Pasta
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
1. Roast the artichokes. Toss them with olive oil, salt and pepper on the sheet pan. Arrange them in a single layer. Then roast them for 15 minutes. Flip them over and give them another 10-12 minutes in the oven, so they’re browned on both sides.
2. Make the pesto. Chop the garlic, spinach, walnuts, parmesan, salt, pepper and lemon juice in a food processor or blender. Then with the motor on pour in the oil, letting it run until it’s just combined.
3. Cook the pasta. Follow the recommended cook time on the package instructions, simmering the pasta in salted boiling water. Then drain the pasta in a colander and transfer it to a big bowl.
4. Stir the pesto into the pasta and add the roasted artichokes. Sprinkle with additional parmesan as you plate the pasta.
Serving
I like to pair this artichoke pasta with a salad on the side like this zesty go-with-anything lemon arugula salad with parmesan, a crisp Italian chopped salad or a restaurant-worthy house salad. A slice of crusty bread or focaccia is also good get every last bit of pesto.
Spinach Artichoke Pasta
Ingredients
For artichokes
- 14 ounce can quartered artichokes hearts, drained
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
For pesto
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 cup packed baby spinach
- 1/4 cup toasted walnuts
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan plus more for serving
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 lemon, juice
- 1/4 cup olive oil
For pasta
- 8 ounces cavatappi, penne or orechiette
Save this recipe
Get it sent to your inbox plus new recipes every week.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- On the prepared sheet pan, toss the artichoke hearts with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Spread them into a single layer. Roast for 15 minutes, then flip them over and continue roasting for 10-12 minutes until browned on both sides.
- For the pesto, finely chop the garlic, spinach, walnuts, parmesan, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and lemon juice in a food processor or blender. With the motor running, drizzle 1/4 cup olive oil through the feeder tube. Continue mixing until the pesto is fully combined.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente following the recommended cook time on the package directions. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.
- Stir the pesto into the pasta. Then fold in the roasted artichokes.
- Divide into bowls or serve on plates. Top with grated parmesan.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
