This spinach and artichoke pasta bake combines the classic comfort of baked mac and cheese with the velvety richness of spinach artichoke dip.
Creamy, cheesy, and packed with enough veggies that I can almost convince myself it’s healthy, it’s a grown-up take on a childhood staple. Plus, it’s a hit with both kids and adults – no small feat in my picky household.
What do you need
- Pasta: I use macaroni elbows to make this recipe, but you can also use other small pasta shapes like shells, mini penne, or ditalini.
- Cream cheese: For a lighter version, you can use low-fat cream cheese.
- Milk
- Spinach: Fresh baby spinach is best. You could substitute frozen spinach (thawed and well drained).
- Marinated artichoke hearts: Buy quartered if you can. Whole artichoke hearts will need to be chopped.
- Cheddar cheese: Sharp cheddar provides the classic mac and cheese flavor, but you can add or substitute other melting cheeses like Gruyère, Gouda, or Mozarella.
- Parmesan
- Panko breadcrumbs: Regular breadcrumbs or finely crushed crackers can be used as alternatives.
One-Pot Method
Great news for those who love easy cleanup – if you have a large oven-safe saucepan or a stovetop-safe casserole dish (check the manufacturer’s instructions to ensure it can handle direct heat), you can streamline the cooking process by making it in one pot.
Simply cook the pasta in the pot, drain it (remembering to reserve some cooking water), and then use the same pot for mixing in the remaining ingredients. Once everything is combined, you can top it with the panko topping and transfer the whole pot directly to the oven for baking.
Serving ideas and variations
- Serve as a vegetarian main dish with a fresh green salad.
- Serve as a side dish alongside grilled chicken, fish, or halloumi.
- Add diced cooked chicken, crispy bacon bits, or flaked smoked salmon for extra protein.
- Increase the veggies by adding roasted bell peppers, sautéed mushrooms, or sundried tomatoes.
Spinach and Artichoke Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 12 oz / 340 g elbow macaroni
- 3 cups water
- 1½ cups / 235 ml milk
- 8 oz / 225 g cream cheese (room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon / 3 g garlic powder
- 2 cup / 60 g baby spinach (roughly chopped)
- 8 oz / 225 g marinated artichokes (drained, roughly chopped)
- 1½ cups / 170 g shredded cheddar cheese
- Salt and black pepper (to taste)
- 1 cup / 60 g panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup grated parmesan
Directions
- Preheat the oven 375°F/ 190°C. Lightly grease a 3 qt./ 2.8L casserole dish and set aside.
- Bring the water to the boil over a high heat, then add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes.
- Add the milk and the cream cheese, and continue cooking and stirring occasionally until the cream cheese has melted in and the pasta is just al dente (approx 5 more minutes). If the sauce thickens too much, add a little water or milk to thin it.
- Add the baby spinach, artichokes, garlic powder, and shredded cheese, and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Transfer to prepared casserole dish, then sprinkle the panko crumbs and the parmesan even over the top.
- Bake for around 10-15 minutes until the sauce is hot and bubbly and the topping is golden-brown.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate and provided for informational purposes only.
