Creamy Spinach Artichoke Pasta (Vegan!)

Looking for a way to jazz up your dinner routine without sacrificing flavor or nutrition? Look no further than this Creamy Spinach Artichoke Pasta (Vegan!) recipe! Made with only 11 ingredients, this pasta dish is completely vegan, but it's also packed with protein and vegetables, making it a guilt-free indulgence.

With its creamy and indulgent texture, this vegan spinach artichoke pasta is the ultimate comfort food that you won't regret trying. It's an easy-to-make dish that packs a nutritional punch with every delicious bite. It is sure to become a new household favorite.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• A great make ahead option - The sauce for this spinach artichoke pasta can easily be made the day ahead. Simply store it in the refrigerator. When you're ready to serve it follow the final steps of the recipe for mixing the pasta, artichoke hearts, and spinach into the sauce.
• It's not only vegan, but it's gluten free, too! So many cream sauces use flour as a thickener. Since this utilizes nutrient rich cashews as the thickener, and I call for gluten free pasta, it's the perfect dish for those who are both gluten free and dairy free.
• This sauce packs a nutritional punch. I love a hearty and creamy pasta dish, but I don't love how it makes me feel after eating it. I often end up feeling bloated and tired. Cashews are full of good nutrition like potassium and fiber and are low in saturated fat. It makes eating a rich and creamy pasta dish completely guilt free!

Tools You'll Need

• 1 set of dry measuring spoons
• 1 set of liquid measuring cups
• 1 set of dry measuring cups
• 1 medium saucepan
• Blender
• 1 spatula

Ingredients

The base of this creamy vegan sauce consists of raw cashews soaked in vegetable broth.

The spices in this creamy pasta sauce include salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, and nutritional yeast. The nutritional yeast adds important B vitamins to the sauce as well as enhances the creamy texture.

Marinated artichoke hearts add a ton of flavor to your recipes. Fresh spinach is nutrient rich, and adds some great vitamins and minerals to this decadent pasta dish. This combination makes this creamy pasta almost like spinach artichoke dip pasta!

I always use gluten free penne pasta for this creamy pasta recipe, but I also love to use gluten free bowtie pasta. You can use your favorite shape. And, if you are not gluten free, you can use regular pasta as well. It all tastes great!

Substitutions

• Vegetable broth option: If you do not have vegetable broth, you may use water instead. If you decide to use water, I would add just a bit more salt and pepper to the main recipe. You can always taste it and adjust accordingly.
• Dried oregano substitution: During the summer months, I often grow oregano in my herb garden. Feel free to use fresh chopped oregano in this recipe if you wish! If you prefer other herbs, basil would be yummy in this recipe as well.
• Marinated artichoke hearts: I like the flavor marinated artichoke hearts adds to this pasta recipe, but if you cannot find marinated artichoke hearts, regular jarred artichoke hearts a good substitute.

How to Make Creamy Spinach Artichoke Pasta

1. Start by heating the vegetable broth in a microwave safe bowl. Add the raw cashews and let them soak for about 2 hours or overnight. This is meant to soften the cashews.

1. Once the cashews have soaked in the vegetable broth, add this mixture to a blender along with the nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, oregano, garlic powder, and onion powder.

1. Blend the mixture very well, until it is smooth. To ensure the mixture is well blended, check after the suggested time, and if you see any light specks, turn the blender on, and blend for an additional 5 minutes. The light specks are small pieces of cashews that have not yet pureed. The longer you blend, the smoother the mixture will be.

1. Once the sauce is made, stir together with the artichoke hearts, spinach, and cooked pasta. Heat this on low in a skillet or saucepan, while VERY gently folding together until the spinach is wilted, and the mixture is heated through.

Prep Ahead Options

• If you've been following me for long, you know I love a good prep ahead option. Well this sauce is the perfect recipe to make ahead of time. The entire sauce recipe can be made ahead of time. Once you've made the sauce, store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. When you get ready to serve, follow steps 3-5 in the recipe card.
• If you want to save the sauce to make just before serving, you may still soak the cashews overnight. Then, they are ready to go the next day!
• If you do want to make this entire recipe ahead of time, that is A-ok too! When reheating, add about 1 tablespoon of water to the mixture before placing it in a microwave safe dish, and reheating for about 1-2 minutes in the microwave.

Serving Suggestions for Creamy Spinach Artichoke Pasta

Creamy spinach artichoke pasta is delicious and filling on its own. But, if you want to add a little more protein to this dish, stir in some cannellini beans. You can also serve it along a side salad or your favorite gluten free bread!

Recipe FAQs

Tips and Tricks for Success When Making Spinach Artichoke Pasta

• Be sure to blend the sauce for this creamy spinach artichoke pasta until completely smooth! All blenders vary in their power. Some blenders may blend the sauce quicker than others. The key is to be sure there are no small white bits remaining in the sauce. If there are, this is an indication that there are still small bits of cashews that have not been pureed until smooth.
• Watch the pasta! Some brands of gluten free pasta, like Banza, cook very quickly. If they become overcooked at all, they become slightly mushy, so just be super cautious with you pasta.
• When heating the sauce over the stove, heat it very slowly. The sauce can sometimes dry out if heated at too high heat.

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Creamy Spinach Artichoke Pasta (Vegan!)

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Rest Time 2 hours hrs

Total Time 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 4 servings

Calories 447 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 ½ cups vegetable broth
• 1 ½ cups raw cashews
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1 ½ teaspoons coarse Kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon ground oregano
• ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon onion powder
• 3 cups gluten free pasta
• 1 cup marinated artichoke heart quarters 1 12 ounce jar
• 6 cups fresh spinach

Instructions

 

• In a medium, microwave safe bowl, heat vegetable broth for about 2 minutes, or until it is hot. Add cashews, and let sit for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
• Once cashews have soaked, place the mixture in a blender with nutritional yeast, oregano, salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. Turn the blender on medium speed and puree. Turn off the blender, and scrape down the sides. Turn the blender back on high speed, and puree until smooth and creamy, about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions.
• VERY roughly chop the artichoke hearts. Return the pasta to the pot with the sauce, artichoke hearts and spinach. Place on medium-low heat, and cook, stirring constantly, but gently, until spinach just begins to wilt.
• Remove from heat and divide evenly among 4 bowls. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 447kcalCarbohydrates: 43gProtein: 14gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gSodium: 1752mgPotassium: 538mgFiber: 5gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 3511IUVitamin C: 19mgCalcium: 68mgIron: 5mg

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