This One Pot Spinach Artichoke Pasta is packed with vegetables, aromatics (garlic, onion), and broth so that every bite is packed with flavor. The broth and pasta create a rich saucy gravy in the pot that coats everything in wonderful flavor. This one pot pasta is the easiest, tastiest “dinner in 30 minutes” meal!
Use Fresh or Frozen Spinach
The original version of this recipe used frozen spinach, but the price of fresh spinach has come down tremendously in the past six years, so I was able to remake this with fresh spinach for about the same price as frozen. Fresh spinach has a much better texture, but frozen is still an option if you have that on hand or can’t get fresh spinach for a decent price.
Whether using fresh or frozen spinach, it can be added to the recipe at the same point—after the pasta has cooked. Frozen spinach is added to the pasta without thawing, and the heat of the pasta quickly thaws the spinach as it’s stirred in.
What Kind of Artichokes Should I use?
You can use artichoke hearts packed in a brine or marinated in oil. Either will work just fine. I usually find the kind packed in a brine in a can to be a little more affordable.
Can I Use a Different Pasta Shape?
Yes, you can use a different type of pasta, just be aware that different shapes may need different amounts of broth to cook properly, so you’ll have to adjust the recipe slightly. You can do this as the pasta cooks, adding more broth if it becomes dry before the pasta is tender, or allowing the pasta to boil without a lid if it’s too brothy when the pasta is nearly cooked through.
Can I Freeze the Spinach and Artichoke Pasta?
Yes, you can freeze this dish, just be aware that the pasta may soften further through the freeze and reheat cycles. The best option for reheating would be in the microwave, first on the defrost setting, then high once it has loosened enough to stir.
Love One Pot Pastas? Check out my entire category of One Pot Meals for more!
One Pot Spinach and Artichoke Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 oz. mushrooms ($1.69)
- 1 13oz. can artichoke hearts ($2.59)
- 4 cloves garlic ($0.32)
- 1 yellow onion ($0.32)
- 5 cups vegetable broth ($0.65)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.32)
- 12 oz. fettuccine ($0.82)
- 1 tsp dried oregano ($0.10)
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme ($0.05)
- freshly cracked black pepper ($0.05)
- 4 oz. fresh or frozen spinach ($0.65)
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper (optional) ($0.05)
- 3 oz. feta (optional) ($2.19)
Instructions
- Rinse the mushrooms to remove any dirt or debris, then slice them thinly. Drain the can of artichoke hearts and roughly chop them into bite-sized pieces. Thinly slice the onion and garlic (you can mince the garlic and dice the onion if you don't like large pieces).
- Place the vegetable broth, olive oil, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, onions, and garlic in a large pot. Break the fettuccine in half and add it to the pot along with the oregano, thyme, and some freshly cracked pepper (10-15 cranks of a pepper mill). Push the ingredients down under the broth as much as possible. Place a lid on the pot and bring it up to a rolling boil over high heat.
- As soon as it reaches a boil, stir the pot to evenly distribute the ingredients and prevent the pasta from sticking. Turn the heat down to low so that the pot is simmering. Allow the pot to simmer, with the lid on, stirring every couple of minutes, for 10-15 minutes, or until the pasta is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Make sure the broth is simmering the entire time, turning the heat up slightly, if needed, to maintain a simmer.
- Once the pasta is cooked through, add the spinach and stir it into the pasta, allowing the heat to wilt the spinach (if using frozen, stir until the heat has thawed the spinach).
- Serve the pasta hot with a pinch of crushed red pepper and some crumbled feta on top, if desired).
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Notes
Nutrition
Scroll down for the step by step photos!
How to Make Spinach and Artichoke Pasta – Step by Step Photos
Start by prepping the veggies. Rinse and slice 8 oz. mushrooms. Drain a 13 oz. can of artichoke hearts and then just chop them up roughly so that they are in smaller, bite-sized pieces. Thinly slice one small onion and 4 cloves garlic. If you don’t want big garlic pieces, you can mince the garlic and dice the onion.
Place the sliced onion, mushrooms, garlic, artichoke hearts, 12 oz. fettuccine, 2 Tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1/2 tsp dried thyme, some freshly cracked black pepper (about 10-15 cranks of a pepper mill), and 5 cups vegetable broth. If your pot is not big enough for the fettuccine to lay flat across the pot, I suggest breaking it in half first. My pot is quite wide, so I left it whole.
Push all of the ingredients down under the liquid as much as possible. Place a lid on top and bring it up to a boil over high heat. As soon as it reaches a boil, give it a good stir, and reduce the heat to low.
Let it simmer on low, with the lid in place, stirring every couple of minutes, for 10-15 minutes, or until the pasta is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. Make sure the broth is simmering well the entire time, turning the heat up slightly if needed to maintain a simmer.
Once the pasta is cooked, add 4 oz. fresh spinach and stir it into the pasta until the spinach has wilted. If using frozen spinach, stir it in until the heat from the pasta has thawed the spinach.
And then you suddenly have this! Amazing! Easy! Yum! It’s a WONDERPOT!
Take a closer look… see that yummy sauciness in the bottom of the pot? 👌
Serve the One Pot Spinach and Artichoke Pasta as is, or add a pinch of crushed red pepper and some crumbled feta. It’s also pretty good with Parmesan!
I had this last night and really liked it. I used bouillon paste for the veggie broth, so I was able to flavor my broth strongly. Thanks for a great recipe!
I’m surprised to see anyone in the comments saying it was bland. I used vegetable bouillon to make the broth. And I used fresh artichoke. I thought it was great considering how skeptical I was. I did have what seemed like alot if juice leftover, but I think ifi added more pasta/veggies it would have been good. Delicious!
We had this for dinner last night and I was good — nice, warm, comfort food. I did saute the onion, mushrooms, and garlic first before adding the rest of the ingredients. I used whole wheat linguine, cooked for 11 minutes, added salt and pepper to taste, and topped with grated parmesan. Two of my three kids liked it. Next time, I’d also serve with sauteed shrimp and maybe a bit of red pepper for a kick. There was more liquid left in the pot than I expected, but not a drastic amount. I’m already looking forward to having some leftovers for lunch!
Just made this-loved it! Do you think I can freeze some and save it?
Yes, although the pasta will continue to absorb the liquid and soften, so if soft pasta bothers you, you may not like it.
I was excited to try this recipe, but I too found it a bit bland. After tasting it we added red pepper flakes and a bay leaf as one of the commenters suggested and that did help. I really like the concept of the wonderpot though, so this has inspired us to do some experimenting along these lines which we are looking forward to!
Hi,
Do you think there is and reason I could not just do tbis in the crockpot on low for 4 or so hours?
Looks yummy! Ill tell you how it turns out.
This one will definitely not work in the crock pot. It needs a very brief cooking time to make sure the noodles don’t disintegrate. You’ll end up with a pot of mush if you use the slow cooker. :)
I just tried making this and it did not turn out the way that I had hoped. I followed the recipe to a T and it turned out pretty bland. The veggies have very little flavor and same with the noodles. Good idea, but the recipe definitely needs some tweeking.
The amount of flavor probably depends a lot on the brand of broth used. Some are more flavorful than others.
I’ve made this a dozen times and it has turned out great every time. If people are having problems with the pasta not cooking they are probably putting too much in the pot or not breaking it in half. I’ve made it with linguine and that was good too. Everyone I have made it for has absolutely loved it and gone back for seconds. Also – it tastes really good and possibly even better leftover. Thanks!
I would love to feature this recipe on my Vegan blog this coming Tuesday. I made it and loved it and so would my readers. Are you ok with that? Thank you for this recipe.
Sure, no problem Cherri! :)
Here’s the recipe feature http://brownveggiemom.blogspot.com/2015/01/week-night-one-pot-pasta.html
Let me start by saying, Thank You for introducing me to such a delicious and easy meal.
I substituted asparagus with artichokes and I used fresh spinach instead of frozen. I also sauted the onions, mushrooms and garlic in some butter for a few minutes, added the spices in it to release the flavor and then added the broth. My kids, 12,8 and 5 are it up, veggies and all. I added some crushed red pepper too for some extra kick. Love it!
This is an ok recipe as is but with a few changes, it really becomes something full of flavor and color. I was working with what I had on hand so I had to omit the onions and artichokes. I also used a skillet vs a pot. I close to tripled the amount of mushrooms (2 1/2 – 3 cups) and sautéed them along with the garlic in a bit of olive oil first. I truly think that sautéeing your veggies beforehand really brings out the flavor. I then added the broth (I used chicken broth) along with a box of rigatoni. I doubled the amount of oregano and also added rosemary, some basil, and a pinch of red pepper flakes along with the thyme and black pepper. About halfway through cooking, I added two diced tomatoes. I also used fresh spinach vs frozen. The sauce was very watery for me at the end so I added a mixture of flour and water (you can also use cornstarch). I had no issues with the pasta not cooking properly. I kept a lid on the skillet and stirred it every few minutes. This would really be perfect with some chicken added in the beginning! I will try this next time with the onion and artichoke but I loved the way mine turned out for me! Thank you for the inspiration!
I agree. As is, it was pretty bland. I had to add salt, and pasta sauce for it to be any good. I wish I would have read your suggestions beforehand. I’m not trying to be rude, just being truthful.
I just made this and it turned out great. Very rich and flavorful, plus extra points for being silly easy. I’ve found in the past that sometimes fettuccine sticks together and ends up cooking unevenly, so I stir it with a pasta server, which separates the pieces and works like a charm. I used Better than Boullion and it was too salty, but that’s easy enough to correct next time (I’ll go down by a third). And there will definitely be a next time.
i made this tonight using penne pasta instead of fettuccine & it was really good. that was my only substitution. it did have a bit too much broth at the end, but we still really dug it. thanks!
I made this for dinner tonight, and it was delicious! I modified the recipe by adding peas, replacing the spinach with kale, and stirring in a little heavy cream at the end. It tasted like alfredo, and my husband raved about it. Love your site, Beth!
Made this tonight and it came out perfectly! Stirred all the ingredients together before I turned the heat on to evenly distribute and prevent sticking. Added a little more seasoning than recommended. It was great with a little parm cheese! Thanks for the quick, easy recipe!