Vegan Richa

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Vegan Spinach Artichoke Pasta Bake Recipe

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You will love this delicious creamy Vegan Spinach and Artichoke Pasta Bake recipe. It’s like having spinach and artichoke dip, but for dinner! Dairy-free, plant-based & so easy to make. Jump to Recipe
side view of a serving of creamy vegan spinach artichoke pasta bake served in a white bowl

Just when I thought pasta could not get more comforting, creamy and delicious, than my Fettucine Alfredo, I used my Spinach Artichoke dip for inspiration for this Creamy Vegan Spinach Artichoke Pasta, topped with breadcrumbs.

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. To make it without soy, just use my nut based spinach artichoke dip. Thin it a bit with non dairy milk, mix in the pasta and done.

overhead shot of a plate of vegan spinach and artichoke pasta bake with breadcrumb topping

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. This creamy vegan spinach pasta tastes just like the restaurant dip served up as a filling main. GENIUS!

Ingredients needed for making Vegan Spinach Artichoke Pasta Bake:

  • Pasta – go with your favorite type and shape and cook according to the instructions on the package. I opted for mediumshells for this recipe, but fusilli or penne would also do.
  • Spinach – I used frozen and thawed spinach but you could also use fresh.
  • Artichokes – the canned variety. I used the ones packed in water as opposed to the oily ones. Make sure to drain them.
  • Nutritional yeast for that signature cheesy taste we love about spinach and artichoke dip.
  • Tofu makes this dairy-free pasta sauce wonderfully creamy.  I recommend using firm or silken tofu, which easily blends into a smooth and creamy sauce but firm works as well.
  • Miso is a Japanese seasoning made from fermented soybeans and has a rich, salty flavor. In traditional Japanese cuisine, it’s used in sauces, soups, and stocks, but it also works so well as an umami booster for many other dishes like this vegan pasta sauce! 
  • Seasonings: onion powder, ground mustard as well as some dried basil or dill
  • A dash of fresh lemon juice cuts through the richness of the sauce.
  • Breadcrumb Topping –  a blend of breadcrumbs, red pepper flakes, salt and dried Italian herbs such as oregano, thyme, rosemary

overhead shot of ingredients needed for making spinach artichoke pasta bake

Tips and Variations for making this Vegan Pasta Bake:

  • 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.
  • Want some crunch? Add some chopped water chestnuts before baking.
  • Soy-free: Use my nut based spinach artichoke dip for thee sauce

How to make Vegan Spinach Artichoke Pasta recipe – Step by Step

 1. Cook the pasta according to instruction and set aside.
2. Heat oil a skillet over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and pinch of salt.

chopped red onions being sauteed in a black skillet

3. Sautee the onions until golden.

chopped onions being sauteed in a black skillet

4. Transfer the onions to a blender together with the rest of the sauce ingredients. Blend until smooth

ingredients for creamy vegan spinach and artichoke pasta sauce in a blender

5. Add olive oil to a baking dish.

overhead shot of a casserole dish with cooked shell pasta, spinach, and chopped artichokes

6. Add the cooked pasta, spinach, chopped artichokes, and the blended sauce. Toss to mix well. Rinse out the blender with 2 tbsp water and add.

spinach artichoke pasta bake ready to go in the oven

spinach artichoke pasta bake topped with breadcrumb topping ready to go in the oven

7. Sprinkle the pasta with breadcrumbs, pepper flakes, herbs and some more salt on top. Spray the topping with some oil for that gorgeous golden brown look.

side view close up of a red casserole dish with creamy vegan artichoke spinach pasta bake

8. Bake the pasta at 400 F for 22 mins. Broil for a minute or so to brown the top. Remove from the oven, serve

overhead shot of a vegan spinach and artichoke pasta bake with breadcrumb topping

Can I make this vegan pasta recipe on the stovetop?

Yes, you can! For making spinach artichoke pasta on the stovetop, combine the spinach, chopped artichokes, and sauce and bring to a boil. Add the cooked pasta and mix well. Cover and cook for 2 mins. Sprinkle in some pepper flakes, dried herbs, and vegan parm.

More vegan pasta recipes from the blog:

a serving of vegan spinach and artichoke pasta bake on a white plate
Print Recipe
4.95 from 19 votes

Vegan Spinach Artichoke Pasta Bake

You will love this delicious vegan spinach and artichoke pasta bake recipe. It's like having spinach and artichoke dip, but for dinner!
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time30 mins
Total Time40 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: pasta recipe with artichokes, spinach pasta recipe, vegan pasta bake
Servings: 4
Calories: 411.73kcal
Author: Vegan Richa

Ingredients

  • 8 oz (226.8 g) pasta , such as shells, penne or ziti
  • 5 oz (141.75 g) spinach (thawed if frozen, finely chopped if fresh)
  • 14 oz (396.89 g) can of artichoke hearts drained and chopped

Sauce

  • 1 tsp oil
  • 1/2 onion, finely chopped
  • 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • 7 oz (198.45 g) firm tofu or silken tofu
  • 1 1/4  cup (295.74 ml) non dairy milk such as almond, oat, or soy
  • 1 tsp flour
  • 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 (27 g) 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 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 flavor(salt, tang, cheesyness).
  • Add some olive oil to a baking dish. Add the cooked pasta, spinach, chopped artichokes and the blended sauce. Toss to mix well. Rinse out the blender with 2 tbsp water and add.
  • Sprinkle the pasta with breadcrumbs, pepper flakes, herbs, and a little salt and optional vegan parm. For the perfect brown topping, spray or drizzle with some olive oil.
  • Bake the pasta at 400 F (205 C) for 22 mins. Then broil for a minute or so to brown the topping.
  • Remove the dish from the oven, and serve.
    Store: Cool completely and refrigerate for upto 3 days.

For making this on the stovetop:

  • Combine the spinach, chopped artichokes and sauce and bring to a boil.
  • Add the cooked pasta and mix well to combine. Cover and cook for 2 mins. Sprinkle in some pepper flakes, dried herbs, and vegan parm.

Notes

  • 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.
  • For Soy-free: Use my nut based spinach artichoke dip as the pasta sauce. Add non dairy milk as needed.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Vegan Spinach Artichoke Pasta Bake
Amount Per Serving
Calories 411.73 Calories from Fat 125
% Daily Value*
Fat 13.92g21%
Saturated Fat 1.54g10%
Sodium 484.2mg21%
Potassium 530.81mg15%
Carbohydrates 60.11g20%
Fiber 6.48g27%
Sugar 4.6g5%
Protein 15.56g31%
Vitamin A 4352.22IU87%
Vitamin C 33.48mg41%
Calcium 199.55mg20%
Iron 3.46mg19%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ If you Love the Recipe, Please consider rating it using stars in comments! It helps readers and helps more people find the recipe online! I love hearing from you all! ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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  1. Good recipe, but you might want to remove spinach and artichokes from the sauce section. Before you see the pics, the instructions say to blend all the rest of the sauce ingredients, which would seem to include the spinach and artichokes.

    Reply

  2. well, it said “blend sauce ingredients” and spinach/artichoke were listed IN sauce ingredients. bummer

    Reply

  5. 5 stars
    I made this for dinner tonight. It was easy and delicious. Thank you for another great recipe that I’ll definitely make again!

    Reply

  6. 5 stars
    I was pleasantly surprised – the sauce had a great “mouth feel” and flavour. Definitely going to make this again.

    Reply

  7. 5 stars
    I saw this pop up in my feed and I RAN to the kitchen to make it. I’m having a little love affair with artichokes right now (and always need to get more spinach in my diet) – it did not disappoint!

    Great recipe. I did blend the artichokes and the spinach into the sauce, but reserved some as well… I thought it was great.

    I’ve had it for dinner, lunch or snack for the past 3 days – I can’t wait for my break at work so I can go dig in again. Home run for this gal – thank you!

    Reply

  9. 5 stars
    I made this recipe tonight with some tweaks. I used fresh broccoli florets that I parboiled before chopping and added some white navy beans that I had cooked last night. As a Vegan I’m always looking for ways to add a bit more protein.
    I omitted the Nutritional Yeast as it causes fierce migraines and upped the miso as you recommended. I used oat milk which I won’t do again. I didn’t have any of my homemade almond milk on hand. I’ve heard people rave about oat milk and decided to give it a try. It was too sweet to me even though it had no added sugar.
    As a Gluten-free Vegan of twelve years I’m always looking for new recipes. I’m happy to have found your blog recently!!! Thank You for the healthy goodness!!!

    Reply

    • great! store bough milks can have sweeeteners added, so get unsweetened when possible for savory dishes. beans also add a slight sweeter profile.

      Reply

  12. 5 stars
    We made this for dinner tonight (stovetop version) and it was delicious! Even my picky four year old who rarely eats his dinner cleaned his plate! I even scooped up the remaining bits from the pan with tortilla chips it was so tasty! 😂

    Reply

  13. Richa, I wonder whether you might be able to recommend a replacement for the pasta. I love artichokes, but can’t have pasta because of blood sugar issues.

    I’ve thought of beans and cauliflower so far, or maybe even roasted veggies (alas can’t use potatoes, more than a carrot or two, rice or other starches, again, because of blood glucose.) Maybe roasted broccoli, brussels sprouts and the like.

    Anyhow, I thought “I bet Richa would know what would be good instead!

    Any thoughts?

    Thanks for all the amazing recipes!

    Reply

  14. 5 stars
    Made this for dinner and it’s delicious, I think the next time I make it I’m going to add some more yeast to give more of a cheese favour,,, thanks Richa for this recipe, more like this please,,, also love your everyday cook book!

    Reply

  15. 5 stars
    Just made and even our toddler approved! I used a little kale since I only had 5 oz of spinach. Will definitely make this again!

    Reply

    • yes the alternate optitons are mentioned in notes and the post, using nuts or pumpkin seeds. use any of my nut frere alfredo veganricha.com/?s=alfredo

      Reply

  20. 5 stars
    I made this tonight and the family (including two kids) all really loved it! From the photo, it looks like it could come out gummy or dry (and mine came out looking very similar), but it’s surprisingly moist and not dry at all. I did add a bit more salt than the recipe called for and maybe 3-4 tablespoons of nutritional yeast, which I think was just to our taste. I had almond milk on hand, so that’s what I used, and I think that worked well as it didn’t have any artificial sweetness like some other plant-based milks tend to have when used in savory recipes. I’ll definitely make this one again. Thanks for the great recipe!

    Reply

  21. Can I use this with lasagna noodles and a tomato sauce? I saw a spinach/artichoke lasagna recipe on another vegan blog, but I like your sauce better.

    Reply

  22. Thanks! And thanks for sharing your creative energy and above all your time with us . I’m very much an introvert, so avoiding crowds comes naturally to me. But even we introverts find virtual human contact comforting.

    Reply

  24. I fixed this today and it was SO good! My husband is not vegan, but he went back for seconds! Can’t wait for leftovers. It’s going into my rotation.

    Reply

  25. 5 stars
    I’ve been following your blog and making your recipes for a few years. This past week I made three of your recipes. This was the third and it was a hit. Our family eats pasta only once a week. I was really wanting to use up our fresh spinach and came across this recipe. We had all the ingredients on hand except for the miso, so I omitted that. I did add extra herbs and seasonings to the sauce.

    I’m so glad I now have time to rate and review recipes from you during this pandemic. Thanks for fantastic vegan recipes for our family. This one is a keeper.

    Reply

  26. 5 stars
    This recipe was creamy and delicious, it had an amazing texture that was created by the silken tofu and although I replaced the miso with Braggs liquid amino acids, it was still amazing! Thank you for this new household staple, the family loved it!

    Reply

  28. I accidentally bought full artichokes quartered in the can instead of artichoke hearts, will it matter for taste or texture?

    Reply

  30. 5 stars
    This really came out like the picture for me! It was super delicious and it really hit the spot for the dip I’ve been missing since going Vegan. I was heavy handed on miso, nutritional yeast and salt. I recommend al dente pasta or a mild crunch to it for the perfect texture once it comes out of the oven. I went for it and added some fresh basil from the garden, still turned out great. This recipe is fairly fool proof, plenty of opportunity to test the sauce before baking. Thanks for this one! It’s a new comfort staple.

    Reply

  31. 5 stars
    This was a tasty and easy to make meal.

    I used lacinato kale instead of spinach and it came out nicely.

    I’m definitely going to make it again and also use the sauce in other recipes.

    Reply
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