One Pot Spinach and Artichoke Pasta

This post may contain affiliate links. As Amazon Associates and through other affiliate programs, we earn from qualifying purchases if you click on a link – at no extra cost to you. We only promote products we actually use and truly love!

This creamy one pot spinach and artichoke pasta is the best easy vegetarian weeknight dinner with minimal cleanup!

Spinach and Artichoke Pasta Recipe Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this creamy spinach and artichoke pasta recipe:

• Penne pasta
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Minced garlic
• Canned artichoke quarters
• Baby spinach
• Heavy cream
• Cream cheese
• Shredded mozzarella
• Grated parmesan
• Salt & pepper

We like using penne for simple one pot pasta recipes like this one, but you can substitute with any short pasta noodle you’d like. We also recommend buying a block of processed mozzarella cheese, if you can find it, and shredding it yourself. It melts much better than the bags of pre-shredded cheese from the grocery store.

How To Make One Pot Spinach & Artichoke Pasta

This one pot pasta recipe means you’ll just have one pot to wash after dinner! Which is a huge benefit on busy weeknights, or if you just loathe washing dishes at the end of the night. Here’s how to make spinach and artichoke pasta in one pot:

1. First, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the penne, then cook until al dente. Drain and set the pasta aside, and return the pot to the stove over medium heat.
2. Add olive oil, garlic, and artichokes to the pot and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the artichokes are slightly softened, about 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Next, add the spinach, heavy cream, cream cheese, mozzarella, and parmesan to the pot. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring gently and constantly, until the spinach is wilted and the cheese is melted, about 3 to 5 minutes.
4. Finally, stir the pasta into the pot until it’s fully coated in the creamy spinach and artichoke sauce. Serve immediately.

Once you add the spinach, heavy cream, and cheeses to the pot, you’ll want to stir constantly to help the cheese melt and combine evenly as the spinach wilts. Stirring will also help the spinach wilt faster while preventing any of the ingredients from sticking to the bottom of the pot and burning.

Can I Make Spinach & Artichoke Pasta In Two Pots?

Absolutely! If you want, you can use two pots to make this spinach and artichoke pasta recipe. It’ll speed up the cooking process a bit since you can start the spinach & artichoke dip “sauce” while the pasta cooks (but you’ll spend a little more time washing dishes after dinner!).

Here’s how to make this one pot pasta in two separate pots instead:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the penne and cook until al dente.
2. Once the pasta is boiling, start heating olive oil in a second large pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, then add the artichokes and season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking the spinach and artichoke sauce as outlined in the recipe.
3. Once the pasta is al dente, strain and add to the spinach and artichoke sauce. Stir to combine and coat the pasta in sauce, then serve hot.

The main difference here is that the pot you’ll make the sauce in starts cold. This means you can add the oil and garlic to the pot right away, but you’ll want to bring it up to heat before adding the artichokes.

Note that you’ll also want to start the sauce once the pasta is already boiling. This will ensure the timing works out so that the cheesy spinach and artichokes aren’t sitting in the pot for too long before you stir in the cooked pasta. Otherwise, you run the risk of burning or overcooking the creamy sauce.

Storing & Reheating Leftovers

This creamy spinach and artichoke pasta is one of those dishes that’s just as good reheated (if not better) as it is fresh! Which means you can definitely store leftovers in the fridge to eat later in the week.

Stored in an airtight container, this pasta will stay fresh for up to 4 days. To reheat, microwave for about 2 minutes per serving, stirring halfway through.

Why You’ll Love This One Pot Pasta Recipe

Nothing beats a creamy, cheesy, comforting bowl of pasta for an easy weeknight dinner. And what makes this spinach and artichoke pasta recipe even better is that you can make it in one pot for super simple cleanup! Plus, you can make a ton of servings with just one box of pasta, in case you’re feeding a crowd.

Try our one pot spinach and artichoke pasta recipe for dinner and let us know what you think by leaving a rating and a comment below! For more easy weeknight dinner recipes like this one, subscribe to our email newsletter here.