Creamy Artichoke Pasta Bake (Printable)

Creamy casserole with pasta, artichokes, spinach, and Parmesan cream sauce. Vegetarian comfort food ready in under an hour.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz short pasta such as penne, rigatoni, or fusilli

→ Vegetables

02 - 14 oz canned artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
03 - 4 oz fresh baby spinach
04 - 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Sauce

06 - 1 cup heavy cream
07 - 1/2 cup whole milk
08 - 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for topping
09 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
10 - 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
11 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
13 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

→ Topping

14 - 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
15 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

# Method:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a large baking dish with approximately 2 quart capacity.
02 - Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook until just al dente. Drain and set aside.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté chopped onion for 3 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 additional minute until fragrant.
04 - Add spinach to the skillet and cook until completely wilted, approximately 2 minutes. Stir in drained artichoke hearts and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
05 - In a saucepan over medium-low heat, combine heavy cream and whole milk. Gradually stir in grated Parmesan cheese, Italian herbs, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Continue stirring until cheese melts completely and sauce achieves smooth consistency, approximately 3 minutes.
06 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked pasta, sautéed vegetable mixture, and cream sauce. Mix thoroughly until all components are evenly coated. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
07 - In a small bowl, combine breadcrumbs with melted butter. Distribute evenly over the casserole surface. Sprinkle additional Parmesan cheese on top if desired.
08 - Bake at 375°F for 20 to 25 minutes until the top is golden brown and the casserole is bubbling around the edges. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like a fancy restaurant dish but uses pantry staples and comes together in under an hour.
  • The creamy Parmesan sauce clings to every piece of pasta and vegetable, making each bite ridiculously satisfying.
  • Leftovers reheat beautifully and somehow taste even better the next day when the flavors have melded.
  • It's impressive enough for guests but easy enough to make on a weeknight when you need comfort food fast.
02 -
  • Undercook the pasta by a full minute or two because it continues cooking in the oven and you don't want mushy noodles.
  • Don't skip draining the artichoke hearts well, I once used them straight from the jar and the extra liquid made the sauce watery and thin.
  • If your sauce looks too thick when mixing, add a splash of the pasta cooking water to loosen it before baking.
  • Let the casserole rest after baking or the first scoop will be a saucy mess that slides apart on the plate.
03 -
  • Toast the breadcrumbs in a dry pan for two minutes before mixing with butter to make them extra crunchy and golden.
  • Use a mix of Parmesan and Gruyère or fontina in the sauce for a more complex, nutty flavor.
  • If the top is browning too fast but the inside isn't bubbling yet, tent it loosely with foil for the last ten minutes.
  • Leftovers can be frozen in individual portions and reheated straight from frozen at 180°C (350°F) for about 25 minutes covered, then 10 minutes uncovered.
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