• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
The Sugar And Salt Co.
  • About Me
  • Recipe Index
  • Work With Me
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About Me
  • Recipe Index
  • Work With Me
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • About Me
    • Recipe Index
    • Work With Me
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home » Main Dishes

    Creamy Spinach Artichoke Pasta (Vegan!)

    March 22, 2023 by Erica Hopper Leave a Comment

    Sharing is caring!

    • Facebook51
    • LinkedIn
    • Email
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    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.

    Jump to:
    • Why You'll Love This Recipe
    • Tools You'll Need
    • Ingredients
    • Substitutions
    • How to Make Creamy Spinach Artichoke Pasta
    • Prep Ahead Options
    • Serving Suggestions for Creamy Spinach Artichoke Pasta
    • Recipe FAQs
    • Tips and Tricks for Success When Making Spinach Artichoke Pasta
    • More Recipes You'll Enjoy
    • Creamy Spinach Artichoke Pasta (Vegan!)

    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

    Raw cashews and vegetable broth for Creamy Spinach Artichoke Pasta (Vegan!)

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

    More ingredients for Creamy Spinach Artichoke Pasta (Vegan!). In the bowls are salt, pepper, nutritional yeast, onion powder, garlic powder, and dried oregano.

    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.

    Fresh spinach and artichokes hearts for Creamy Spinach Artichoke Pasta (Vegan!)

    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!

    This image shows a bowl of gluten free pasta for the Creamy Spinach Artichoke Pasta recipe

    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

    A bowl of raw cashews soaking in vegetable broth to soften them before pureeing for the sauce for the 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.
    The Creamy Spinach Artichoke Pasta recipe is so easy. This image shows all the sauce ingredients in the blender ready to be blended until creamy.
    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.
    This image shows the sauce ingredients for the Creamy Spinach Artichoke Pasta all blended up.
    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.
    This image shows all the ingredients, including the sauce, for the Creamy Spinach Artichoke Pasta.
    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

    Should I drain the cashews from the vegetable broth?

    Many recipes for cashew cream sauces call for draining the liquid after soaking cashews. However, for this sauce, I like to use the same liquid. It saves a step in the recipe, and the vegetable broth flavor has time to absorb into the cashews.

    Can I use a different nut for this sauce?

    The reason cashews are such a great base for vegan cream sauces is because they are fairly neutral in flavor and are able to absorb moisture easily. This makes them the best nut for plant based cream sauces.

    Do I have to use spinach for this sauce?

    I have not tested other vegetables in this recipe, but I think adding in broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, or yellow squash would be delicious as well!

    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.

    More Recipes You'll Enjoy

    • Bacon Wrapped Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates
    • Dutch Oven Pot Roast with Butternut Squash
    • Banana Pumpkin Protein Muffins
    • Dairy Free Overnight Oats with Pumpkin

    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
      

    • 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
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    More Main Dishes

    • Arugula Pear Salad
    • Dairy Free Chicken Salad
    • High Protein Quinoa Salad
    • Dairy Free "Butter" Chicken

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Erica from The Sugar and Salt Co

    Hi, I'm Erica! Hi! I'm Erica, the creator of the sugar + salt co! With my chef-inspired, gluten free recipes, I take the fear out of the kitchen for the everyday home cook. Thanks for stopping by!

    More about me →

    Popular Recipes

    • Final image of the gluten free chicken tenders. This image shows some beers that have been partially drunk, and a woman's hand dipping a chicken tender into some dipping sauce.
      Gluten Free Chicken Tenders
    • Finished gluten free pumpkin cheesecake cookies on a tray.
      Gluten Free Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies
    • Finished gluten free apple cider donuts
      Gluten Free Apple Cider Donuts

    Latest Recipes

    • Roasted Beet Salad with Feta
    • Butternut Squash and Feta Salad
    • Dairy Free Blueberry Lemon Ice Cream
    • Protein Cookie Dough Balls

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About

    Subscribe

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Work with Me

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2024 The Sugar and Salt Co.

    • 51Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • LinkedIn
    • Email