Creamy Spinach Artichoke Pantry Pasta
April 1, 2021
Your favorite dip becomes your new favorite pantry pasta dish! Creamy spinach artichoke pasta with tangy sun dried tomatoes and a pillow of Parmesan cheese grated on top.
Spinach Artichoke Dip turned PASTA
No question…my favorite dip of all time is Spinach Artichoke Dip. No big game, awards show, or party is complete without it! When I set out to create a few recipes that you could make directly from your pantry. Since I seem to always have frozen spinach, canned artichokes, and pasta on hand…I felt that this was a pantry dish just waiting to come to life. Mixed with a creamy sauce, salty cheese, and some tang from sun dried tomatoes, I was ready to dive in.
Let’s talk about your Pantry
Most times, when people think about the pantry, they think about the dry goods that are tucked behind cabinet doors or if you’re lucky…a WALK IN pantry. (someday) But your pantry really encompasses your refrigerator, freezer, and dry pantry. There are ingredients in all of those spots in your kitchen that you should always have on hand. For example, in this recipe I’m pulling heavy cream and Parmesan cheese from my refrigerator, frozen spinach and garlic cubes from the freezer, and pasta, canned artichoke hearts, broth, and sun dried tomatoes from my cabinet pantry. I almost ALWAYS have each of these ingredients on hand.
A winning combo of flavors
At the end of the day, you can pull a pantry pasta recipe together with just about anything. From the simplest marinara meets pasta dish to something slightly more elaborate like this dish, all you need to do is focus on creating some sort of sauce and tossing in a handful of veggies (and cheese, always). I already knew that I loved the combination of spinach and artichoke together, so it made sense to incorporate those in a simple pasta dish with a basic cream sauce. For the base of almost any sauce, I start by sautéing a shallot or onion then adding wine or broth to deglaze followed by more broth and cream. By reducing the sauce down you build flavor and a creaminess to coat your other ingredients. To finish things off, I like to toss in some grated Parmesan cheese to thicken the sauce and add a boost of flavor. All put together, it’s irresistable!
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Creamy Spinach Artichoke Pantry Pasta
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
Description
Your favorite dip becomes your new favorite pantry pasta dish! Creamy spinach artichoke pasta with tangy sun dried tomatoes and a pillow of Parmesan cheese grated on top.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. rotini pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- (1) 10-oz package of frozen spinach, thawed and drained*
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 1 ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 ½ cup chicken broth or stock
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated plus more for garnish
- 1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, rinsed, squeezed dry and chopped
- ⅓ cup sun dried tomatoes, finely chopped
- Lemon juice, for serving
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to directions on box.
- In a large sauté pan set over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and golden brown around the edges, about 2 minutes. Add the spinach, garlic, and pepper and stir to combine. Next add the heavy cream and chicken broth, Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer until sauce has thickened and coats the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes.
- Add the cooked rotini, parmesan, artichokes, and sun dried tomatoes to the sauce and toss gently to coat.
- To serve, divide the pasta among 4 to 6 serving plates, and sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Notes
- A 10-ounce package of frozen spinach is equivalent to 1 and 1/2 cups after draining, which is roughly what you can get from cooking down 1 pound of fresh spinach.
- Tip: If you can find frozen artichoke hearts, they also work well in this recipe. Thaw before using.
- If you’d like to add protein to this dish, I really like it with cooked chicken sausage tossed in the skillet or served alongside oven roasted chicken thighs.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
Keywords: pasta, pantry, spinach, artichoke