Baked Spinach-Artichoke Pasta

By Aaron Hutcherson

Baked Spinach-Artichoke Pasta
Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Susan Spungen.
Total Time
40 minutes
Rating
4(4,511)
Comments
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Toss spinach-artichoke dip with pasta, and it feels right at home on the dinner table. This recipe, which nixes the traditional cream cheese for a blend of salty Parmesan and heavy cream, is prepared on the stovetop and requires only 10 minutes of active cooking before it’s slid into the oven. As with any baked pasta, the key is to cook the shells until pointedly shy of al dente and to toss them with a sauce that seems excessively wet, as the pasta will tenderize and the sauce will thicken in the oven. These ingredients skew classic, but there is infinite room to riff: Swap in chopped kale or mustard greens in place of the spinach, experiment with cheese combinations, stir in mustard or caramelized onions or top with crumbled bacon.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings
  • Kosher salt
  • 8ounces medium pasta shells
  • 2tablespoons olive oil
  • 2garlic cloves, minced
  • ¼teaspoon red-pepper flakes
  • 10ounces fresh baby spinach, or frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and drained
  • 1(14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
  • 2cups heavy cream (1 pint)
  • 4ounces grated Parmesan (about 1 cup)
  • Black pepper
  • 4ounces grated mozzarella (about 1 cup)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

649 calories; 44 grams fat; 25 grams saturated fat; 1 gram trans fat; 14 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 41 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 24 grams protein; 652 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high. Turn down to medium-high, and cook the pasta according to package instructions until 2 minutes short of al dente (the pasta will finish cooking in the oven). Drain and reserve.

  2. Step 2

    Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium. Add the garlic and red-pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the spinach little by little until wilted, stirring frequently, about 3 minutes. Stir in the chopped artichokes.

  3. Step 3

    Stir in the cream and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Stir in the Parmesan until melted. Remove from the heat then carefully stir in the cooked pasta, or transfer to a large bowl to mix together, if necessary. The liquid might appear wet and loose, but it will thicken up as it bakes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

  4. Step 4

    Transfer the pasta to a 2-quart casserole dish or individual casseroles or ramekins. Sprinkle with the mozzarella and bake until bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes. Broil until browned in spots, 1 to 2 minutes, if desired. Let cool slightly before serving.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
4,511 user ratings
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Comments

Yinzer

What’s leftover bacon?

Mary Larson

Replace the cream with Greek or regular yogurt, and it will add flavor and be much healthier.

Charlotte K

If you use a cast iron pan for the sauteing portion of the recipe you can put that in the oven and save yourself a casserole dish. I wash dishes by hand, my least fave chore, and so I am always looking for a way to use fewer dishes.

JRMB in Massachusetts

This can be a one pot dish if, instead of cooking the pasta and then adding it to the cream mixture, you add uncooked pasta to the boiling sauce before adding the cheese, then boil the pasta for 3 minutes, add the cheese, and bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

a

Will it work to use some yogurt instead of the cream? It looks so good, but I should not eat it. But now I want to. OY.

Pam Raley

I made this yesterday following the recipe almost exactly. I subbed Half and Half for heavy cream. Result was wonderful: the undercooked pasta cooked perfectly with the thickened sauce, and the total result was creamy but not heavy. The big flavor of Parmesan and sprinkled Cheddar (what I had on hand) made the whole dish much lighter than so many cheese dishes. My stomach doesn't like those any more. Next time, I'll use cottage cheese in place of some of the Half and Half. Definite keeper.

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