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
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.
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
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
3. Sautee the onions until golden.
4. Transfer the onions to a blender together with the rest of the sauce ingredients. Blend until smooth
5. Add olive oil to a baking dish.
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.
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
Can I make this vegan pasta recipe on the stovetop?
More vegan pasta recipes from the blog:
- Vegan Mushroom Fettucine Alfredo
- Cajun Cauliflower Pasta
- Vegan Lemon Asparagus Pasta
- Roasted Red Bell Pepper Chickpea Pasta
- Cauliflower Parmesan Pasta Bake
- Vegan Sundried Tomato Pasta
Recipe Card
Vegan Spinach Artichoke Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 7-8 oz (198.45 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 , see notes for Soyfree
- 1 1/4 cup (295.74 ml) non dairy milk such as almond, oat, or soy
- 1 tsp flour
- 1/2 tsp (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 more if needed
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 -2 tsp (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). Some tofus can take over the flavor so add more of the herbs and nutritional yeast if needed.
- 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.
Video
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.
- 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.
Stacey
Absolutely wonderful as usual! I used the 2tsp of miso, extra basil, extra nutritional yeast, extra garlic & soy for the milk. I also undercooked the pasta a little as suggested, and it worked out perfectly. It’s comforting without being too dense, savory & creamy. I really enjoyed the crisp from the breadcrumbs under the broiler so I went 2 mins longer for extra crunch. Thank you Richa💗
Vegan Richa Support
thank you!
Michelle
This has been added to our rotation of favorites! Since going vegan I’ve been missing creamy pasta dishes, but this totally satisfies the craving. I added a bit of vegan ‘chicken’ broth to the sauce for some extra savoriness, and a lb. of sliced mushrooms to the dish.
Vegan Richa Support
yay! awesome, thank you!
Mike H
Amazing! Perfect. Can you freeze this?
Richa
Yes
Haley
I usually love everything from this site. We make a Richa recipe probably once a week in our house. I’ve never made anything we didn’t like. Until now. This one was a miss. I followed the recipe exactly, doubling it for our family of six. It was nothing like the photos. It was not creamy, but rather curd like, and the flavor was bland. I had to throw half of it away. I love spinach artichoke dip, but this was a pass for me.
Richa
Oh no. I think it might be the tofu brand or type that’s causing this. If it was curdled, it might have needed more blending. Or if it stayed that way then that would affect flavor as well. There was too much volume for the spices and flavors it seems like. Try my cashew based spinach artichoke dip as sauce here instead
Cathy
Can you prepare this in advance up through step 5 and then bake next day? Just wondering if that would work. Or maybe prepare sauce and pasta in advance separately and combine to bake day of.
Vegan Richa Support
I think it would be better to keep separate
Nancy
I made this and it was good but dry. I gently squeezed the water from the thawed spinach and maybe that was a mistake. I couldn’t find a mention of any prep to the spinach. Was I wrong?
Vegan Richa Support
Oh ! I wonder which type of pasta you used…. spinach (fresh or frozen) is in step #4.. possibly, yes, next time try just thawing it
Neha
LOVED this one- I made it for my family as part of my weekly meal prep, and it was a major hit!! And so easy and healthy!!!
Vegan Richa Support
Hooray!
Linda
I loved this dish! Creamy, tasty pasta goodness!! Thank you!!
Vegan Richa Support
perfecto
Deepa
Would panko breadcrumbs work or it would make it too crispy and tough?
Richa
Yes!
Aubree
We LOVED this recipe!!! We added the suggested jalapeño. It added a nice subtle heat. We did add less nondairy milk. It seemed like a lot when reading the recipe and we decided we could always add more if it needed it. We doubled the recipe and only used the original amount of liquid. It turned out great! Thank you so much for this recipe!
Vegan Richa Support
good to know – thank you!
Diana
This was really good! I left out the oil, flour, and used fresh basil instead. My toddler even gobbled it up! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Vegan Richa Support
thanks for popping in
Brigitte
Absolutely delicious!! Made the stove top version. Adjusted seasonings to my taste, and ate two big helpings!
Emma Paschen
Do you add the 2 tbsp water or is that just to rinse out the blender? I wasn’t sure and I wanted to check before I made it. Thanks for your help!
Vegan Richa Support
better to check!! Yes – add it to the baking dish with the other ingredients: “Add some olive oil to a baking dish. Add the cooked pasta, spinach, chopped artichokes and the blended sauce”
Lesley
Just made a double batch & will serve it to family tomorrow! It looks amazing & wasn’t too complicated. Can’t wait to eat it up & it made a big amount, so will last several meals. Thank you for your tasty, creative, vegan recipes!