Author: This Vegan Spinach Artichoke Pasta Bake tastes just like the classic dip, but turned into dinner. It's ultra creamy, packed with spinach and artichokes, and finished with either buttery golden breadcrumbs or melty vegan cheese. Perfect for an easy weeknight meal, potluck, or cozy family dinner.
If you're the kind of person who could happily eat spinach artichoke dip as a full meal, well, you can sit next to me because SAME. And this vegan spinach artichoke pasta bake brings that same creamy-cheesy-garlicky vibe to the dinner table. Basically, it's everything you love about the dip in the form of a pasta casserole. It's loaded with spinach, tender artichokes, and pasta to make it a proper meal, all coated in a rich, creamy cashew sauce.
Why This Spinach Artichoke Pasta Bake Works
- Dip transformed into dinner: This recipe has the creamy, tangy flavors of spinach artichoke dip, but in a hearty pasta bake.
- Ultra creamy sauce: Cashews blend into a rich, silky sauce that makes this pasta bake incredibly creamy without any dairy.
- Customizable topping: Go for crispy buttery breadcrumbs or melty vegan cheese.
- Great for sharing: This is a true crowd-pleaser, even non-vegans love it.
Ingredients for Vegan Spinach Artichoke Pasta Bake
- Pasta: Use a short pasta like penne, ziti, rotini, or bow ties.
- Creamy cashew sauce: Raw cashews form the base, then you'll need plant-based milk to make it saucy, with nutritional yeast, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper for flavor.
- Vegetables: Yellow onion, garlic, spinach, and marinated artichokes (for best flavor) are cooked in olive oil.
- Breadcrumb topping: Option one! Breadcrumbs mixed with melted vegan butter give the casserole a golden, crispy finish.
- Cheesy topping: Option two! Vegan mozzarella for a melty, classic baked pasta vibe.
How to Make Vegan Spinach Artichoke Pasta Bake
- Cook the Pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Drain and set aside, reserving a little pasta water in case you need it later.
- Blend the Sauce: Add the cashews, plant-based milk, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper to a blender and blend until completely smooth and creamy.
- Soften the Onion: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 4 to 5 minutes.
- Add the Garlic and Spinach: Add the garlic and cook briefly until fragrant. Add the spinach and cook until wilted.
- Combine: Remove from heat and stir in the artichokes, cooked pasta, and sauce. Mix until everything is evenly coated. Add a splash of pasta water or plant milk if needed to loosen.
- Assemble and Bake: Transfer the mixture to a greased baking dish and spread evenly. Add your chosen topping. Bake until hot and bubbly. If using cheese, cover first, then uncover to finish. If using breadcrumbs, bake uncovered until golden.
Tips and Variations
- Swapping in frozen spinach: This absolutely works instead of fresh, but be sure to thaw and squeeze out excess moisture to avoid a watery pasta bake.
- Adjust the sauce: If it thickens too much, add a splash of pasta water or plant milk to loosen it up.
- Oil-free option: Sauté the onion and garlic with a splash of water or broth instead of oil. Use plain breadcrumbs or a cheese topping instead of butter.
- Gluten-free option: Use your favorite gluten-free pasta (I'm a fan of brown rice pasta) and gluten-free breadcrumbs, or opt for the cheesy topping instead.
- Cashew substitutes: Use macadamia nuts, blanched almonds, or sunflower seeds. Boil for 15 minutes to soften them up before blending.
How to Serve This Pasta Bake
This dish is hearty enough to stand on its own, but if you want to add a little something extra, here are some ideas:
- Garlic bread (highly recommended for scooping up that creamy sauce)
- A simple green salad with my everyday oil-free salad dressing
- Roasted broccolini
- Or add some extra protein such as my Baked Tofu Bites or Easy Vegan Meatballs
Storage
Store leftover spinach artichoke pasta bake covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in a 350ºF oven or microwave until warmed through. (I don't recommend freezing this because the pasta will be mushy and the sauce won't be as creamy.)
More Vegan Pasta Recipes
If you try this vegan pasta bake recipe, let us know by leaving a comment and rating it. I'd love to see what you made. Share your creation in the It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken Community (this is where we're all hanging out now!) or tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram.
Bon appetegan!
Sam Turnbull.
(click stars to vote)
Vegan Spinach Artichoke Pasta Bake
This Vegan Spinach Artichoke Pasta Bake tastes just like the classic dip, but turned into dinner. It's ultra creamy, packed with spinach and artichokes, and finished with either buttery golden breadcrumbs or melty vegan cheese. Perfect for an easy weeknight meal, potluck, or cozy family dinner.
Servings: - 8
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Ingredients
- 14 oz short pasta, (penne, ziti, rotini, or bow ties)
For the Sauce:
- 1 ½ cups raw cashews, (softened if needed, see step 3)
- 2 cups unsweetened plant-based milk, (such as oat or soy)
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For the Vegetables:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 10 oz fresh spinach, (or frozen, thawed and squeezed dry)
- 12 oz marinated artichokes, (about 2 cups), drained and roughly chopped
For the Topping (choose one):
- Breadcrumb topping: ½ cup breadcrumbs + 2 tablespoons melted vegan butter
- Cheesy topping: ½ to 1 cup vegan mozzarella, grated
Instructions
- Preheat and prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33 cm) baking dish.
- Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.Tip: Reserve ½ cup of pasta water in case you need it later.
- Soften the cashews (optional): If you have a high-powered blender, you can skip this step. Otherwise, add the cashews to a small pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes until very tender. Drain and rinse well before using in the sauce. (Softening the cashews helps them blend smoothly into a creamy sauce.)
- Blend the sauce: Add the cashews, plant-based milk, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper to a blender. Blend until completely smooth and creamy, stopping to scrape the sides as needed.
- Cook the vegetables: In a large skillet or pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlci and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes, until softened. Reduce heat to low, add the spinach, cover, and cook until wilted (about 2 to 3 minutes), stirring as needed.
- Combine: Remove from heat. Add the artichokes, cooked pasta, and all of the cashew sauce. Stir until everything is evenly coated. If it looks too thick, stir in a splash of reserved pasta water or a bit more plant milk until it's nice and saucy.
- Transfer: Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread evenly.
- Top and bake (choose one):Cheesy topping: Sprinkle with vegan mozzarella. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes, then uncover and bake for 5 to 10 minutes, until melty and lightly golden.Breadcrumb topping: Toss breadcrumbs with melted vegan butter, sprinkle over top, and bake uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, until bubbly and golden.
Notes
Storage: Allow to cool then cover and store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Oil-free option: Skip the olive oil and sauté the onion/garlic with a splash of water or broth instead. For the topping, skip the vegan butter and either use plain breadcrumbs (still works, just less rich), or top with my Melty Stretchy Gooey Mozzarella.
Gluten-free option: Use your favorite gluten-free pasta and gluten-free breadcrumbs, or opt for the cheesy topping instead.
Substitute for cashews: Cashews are my favorite because they’re mild and ultra creamy, but you can also use macadamia nuts, blanched almonds, or raw sunflower seeds. Boil for about 15 minutes to soften then drain and rinse well before blending (regardless of blender strength).
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving with breadcrumb topping (recipe makes 8 servings) | Calories: 482kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 603mg | Potassium: 629mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 3982IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 166mg | Iron: 4mg
britt says
Wow, awesome recipe! I was desperate to make this for aaages, and just as I was ramped up to start, I realised I had no nutritional yeast! but was absolutely craving it, so added extra saucy flavours like the garlic, lemon and salt, and use about 3-4 T of vege stock.... still tastes awesome! I imagine it would taste even better with nutritional yeast, but for anyone out there who was lacking some like me, there are other ways!
Thanks sam 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
Yay! I'm so very happy you loved the recipe so much britt and were able to make it tasty without nutritional yeast. Great to hear it was enjoyed 🙂
Sandy says
Thank you for making vegan taste so good. I tried this recipe tonight and I cut everything in half as I knew it would be big. I also sauteed the onions before adding them and I included some sauteed mushrooms too. I live in a rural area so I use coconut oil for vegan butter and my crumb topping turned out great. Definite 5 stars and will make it again. It would be a great potluck offering as no one would even speculate that it was vegan. It is totally comfort food. Costco has a kilo bag of cashews for 15.99. Compared to buying meat, a kilo goes a long way so they are pretty inexpensive. Thanks again!
Sam Turnbull says
Yay!! So happy you loved the recipe so much! Thank you for the lovely comment! Totally made my day 🙂
Rebecca says
I made this recipe last week and it was great! I live alone so made it and kept it in the fridge for a few days and warmed it up for lunches at work.
My only suggestions for those that want to make it is to sautee the onion before adding it to the pasta. I found it to be a bit crunchy after baking and didn't particularly enjoy that texture with the other combination of textures (but that's just me - I'm weird with textures). I also would have chopped the artichoke a lot more finely than I did as it ended up coming out in large chunks and was a bit overpowering even compared to the amount of pasta in the dish.
All in all though, a great recipe and I will definitely be making it again for my non-vegan friends. It's sure to be a crowd-pleaser. The above suggestions are just based on my tastes and preferences.
Sam Turnbull says
That's great Rebecca! So happy you loved it and were able to make it your own 🙂
Carina says
Pasta bake is my ultimate comfort food, and this didn't disappoint!! Unfortunately I put too much lemon juice in (I only had 1 cup of cashews so adjusted the rest of the recipe accordingly - except the lemon juice! Oops!) but was able to fix it with extra salt and chilli powder.
I am also super impatient so browned the breadcrumbs on the grill so I could enjoy sooner!
Sam Turnbull says
Yay! Thrilled that you liked this dish so much Carina. 😀
Rebecca says
How much does the sauce part measure out to be?
I am going to have to sub cashews because of an allergy... I figure if I have the same amount of sauce whatever the sub I decide... the recipe should work out. Thanks!
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Rebecca,
I don't know what you are planning on subbing for the cashews, but if you are subbing almonds for example, it would be the same amount of almonds as there was cashews. I hope that helps!
Edie Brown says
This recipe is absolutely incredible! The cashew sauce is fantastic. It's tough to find vegan recipes that my carnivore daughter enjoys but everyone loved it. This will be a new "old reliable" in our house. Thank you!
Sam Turnbull says
Yay!! I love to hear that. So happy you and your daughter enjoyed it 😀
Jovana says
My husband made this for us last night. He also pro-actively found your recipe! I couldn't believe it! I'm usually the one trawling the net for recipes!
We paired it with a big salad, so we managed to get 12 servings out of it! Was absolutely delish! Thank you so much!!!
Sam says
Yay!!! So happy you and your husband loved the recipe so much 🙂
Christine says
This is a killer recipe! Going to keep it in my company file. Amazing....truly amazing vegan dish! Can't wait to eat the leftovers! Husband loved it too! THANK YOU!
Sam says
Yay!!! So very happy you and your husband loved it so much Christine 🙂
Pam says
Made this tonight. Newby vegan - decided to not tell my hubs it was vegan and made sautéed chicken on the side. He ate three helpings andloved it too! Wasn't sure when I saw the price of raw cashews but I'm happy I trusted you now. You go girl!
Sam says
Haha thank you Pam!! So happy your husband loved it too. That's awesome! Yeah raw cashews can be pricey so I always buy them in bulk and on sale. They are a staple in my house! 🙂
Ryan says
Thank you for sharing! My new favorite vegan recipe! Just made this for dinner and i love it! So flavorful and delicious. Pretty easy to make as well.
Sam says
That's awesome!! So happy you loved the recipe Ryan. Thank you for coming back and leaving your review 🙂
Laurie says
WE made this and loved it. A couple of suggestions: I don't have one of those heavy duty blenders so my cashew sauces are always a bit grainy. Still taste delish, but there it is. I added a couple teaspoons of the artichoke marinade liquid back to the ground cashews and other sauce ingredients and it made all the difference in texture and made it more saucy, as it was pretty thick. Also, next time I will probaby use a throw/stir method to add the spinach because it clumped up a bit. Not to worry, it still tasted great. 5 stars for sure!
Sam says
So happy you enjoyed the recipe Laurie! You can use a fine strainer or a nut bag to strain out the cashew bits if you like. Adding the artichoke marinade is a great idea 🙂
Dominique G says
My son & I made this today and it was incredible! Thank you for posting this.
Sam Turnbull says
You're most welcome 🙂
Srivani says
I just new this was going to be awesome! I was eating it right from the pot before putting into the baking pan. 2-year-old girl ate this up in record time. This is a hit recipe and one that I'll be making again, probably soon! It was one of those meals that I was disappointed I was too full for thirds! 😛 Thanks Sam.
Srivani says
Oh, and SUPER SIMPLE!!!! Love that! 🙂
Sam says
Haha thank you 🙂
Sam says
Haha! You're so very welcome Srivani! It always brightens my day when I see that you have made and loved another one of my recipes. It's Srivani approved! 😀
Lindsay says
Made this tonight, the recipe turned out great! Even my non-vegan hubby thought it was delicious. Looking forward to noshing on leftovers tomorrow 🙂
Sam says
Woot woot!! So happy you and your husband loved this Lindsay. I love when we are able to woo non-vegans to the green side with food. 😉
Kristi says
Oops, gotta post again to give it 5 stars! 😀
Sam says
Haha! Thank you!!
Kristi says
I didn't have a chance to make this until today. Sam, this is SO GOOD!!! I made it for lunch and my whole family devoured it. Yum!
Sam says
Yay!!! So happy you and your family loved it Kristi! Thanks for coming back and leaving your awesome review! 😀
Kathy Sturr says
LOVE the pans! This dish looks well, DELISH! A great solution for a small crowd (because I would eat like half of it, you know?) I would eat this for breakfast in a minute - I LOVE dinner for breakfast!
Sam says
Haha, yeah I could probably mow down half as well. Us vegans, being all classy. Haha!
Bethery says
This looks really yummy. I think my husband will even like it. (And the dishes are adorable, too.)
Sam says
Yeah, I love having this colourful addition to my bakeware! I bet you're right, your husband will like it. I served it up to both vegans and omnivores alike and everyone loved it! Enjoy!
Alicia says
This recipe is great. I added roasted acorn squash...I bet other veggie combinations and spice blends will be tasty too. I believe the cashew cream only works if you have a blend-tec or vitamix, though. It's worth it for recipes like this!
Sam says
Thank you Alicia! So happy you loved the recipe, the addition of acorn squash sounds super yummy and seasonal!
Sue says
After I soak or boil the cashews, they should be drained before putting them in the blender, right? I'm really looking forward to trying this recipe and I've never had the guts to try a cashew sauce before. I want to make sure I get it right.
Sam says
Hi Sue! Yes, you drain the cashews before putting them in the blender. I added that into the instructions just now, so that hopefully nobody gets confused, thanks for pointing that out! The secret to awesome cashew sauces it to make sure the cashews are very tender before blending, and blend until completely smooth and no cashew bits remain. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Kristi says
Oh my gosh Sam! I need this in my life ASAP. I already have dinner planned for the week, but may need to make a special weekend lunch. You are amazing. I am so excited when I see an email with a new blog post from you. 🙂 I'll be back after I make it!
Sam says
Hahaha! Yay!!!! That's the best! I am so happy you are so excited to try this recipe and that you always look forward to more! I hope I continue to put out recipes you enjoy 🙂