I'm super excited to announce this post is sponsored by World Kitchen, who I love for their gorgeous colourful bakeware. I collect both vintage and brand new dishes all the time! (No really, you should see my ridiculous collection). I have been compensated monetarily and with product. Woot woot!
,%20paired%20with%20marinated%20artichokes.%20We%20all%20know%20those%20two%20are%20a%20super%20great%20match.%20This%20pasta%20tastes%20just%20like%20the%20classic%20dip,%20but%20it%E2%80%99s%20all%20disguised%20as%20dinner.%20Healthy,%20vegan,%20gluten%20free%20option,%20oil%20free%20option.)
Why hello there gorgeous, creamy, melt in your mouth, baked dish of deliciousness. Why yes, I do wish I was eating you right now... which would be for breakfast... which might be odd, but I am still so into the idea. Cold pasta fans anyone?
This dish is comfort food heaven! It's like creaminess and comfort got together and had a baby and they named it Vegan Spinach & Artichoke Pasta Bake. No, not the cutest baby name I have ever heard of, but it will have to do. We can call it "Baked Love" for short.
Can we take a moment to appreciate the beauty of these CorningWare dishes? I LOVE the bright fun colours of these pans, they are just so totally me. I mean the turquoise one... I can't even, I just think it's the cutest.
These days it seems like most of the things I own are turquoise: I'm sitting at a turquoise desk, next to my turquoise cabinet, eating cereal out of a turquoise bowl  (not so secretly dreaming of eating Baked Love straight out of this turquoise CorningWare pan). So when I received this package of colourful dishes in the mail I was jumping for joy at the gorgeousness. You'll probably see these dishes show up in a lot of posts from now on. If you're in a shopping type mood, you can get the set shown above here, or choose from a huge range of other colours, shapes, sizes, and styles.
Back to Baked Love.
This is a great dish for an easy weeknight dinner, but it would also be ridiculously perfect for a big party! A crowd pleaser if I ever saw one. I'm not just talking about a crowd of vegans, (where is this crowd of vegans? I want to come!) I am talking about EVERYONE. The cashews make it so sinfully creamy, an entire extra large box of spinach is crammed in there (Popeye would be proud), paired with marinated artichokes. We all know those two are a super great match. This pasta tastes just like the classic dip, but it's all disguised as dinner.
What's that dull rumble? That's the sound of thousands of vegans running to the grocery store to pick up the ingredients for Vegan Spinach & Artichoke Pasta Bake.
Let's get cooking! First you need to either soak or boil your cashews until they are very tender. Then add them to a blender with all of the sauce ingredients and blend until very smooth and creamy. Set aside.
Melt the vegan butter and mix it up along with all the bread crumb toppings. Now set that aside too.
Drain the artichokes and roughly chop leaving them still leave them fairly chunky. Chop the onion. You guess it, set those aside.
Boil your pasta according to the package directions. In the last 30 seconds of cooking time, add all of the spinach to the boiling water along with the pasta.
Stir the spinach into the water until it is all wilted, then drain pasta and spinach together.
Add the pasta and spinach back into the pot, and now add the onion, artichoke, and all of the sauce. Stir to combine.
Spread the pasta out into a 9x 12 3 qt. baking dish. Then evenly shake the breadcrumb mixture overtop. Bake at 350F (180C) for 25 minutes until hot all the way through and the breadcrumb toppings have lightly browned. Feast away my friends, feast away.
Vegan Spinach & Artichoke Pasta Bake
Ingredients
For the sauce:
- 1 ½ cups raw cashews
- ¼ cup lemon juice, (about 1 ½ lemons)
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 cups plant-based milk, (such as soy or almond)
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt, (or to taste)
For the topping:
- ¾ cup bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon melted vegan butter
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
For the pasta:
- 4 cups penne or other short pasta, (454g)
- 12 oz marinated artichokes, drained and roughly chopped
- ½ yellow onion,, chopped
- 11 oz fresh or frozen spinach
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F (180C).
- To make the sauce: you can boil or soak the cashews. To boil the cashews: Cover the cashews with water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, and boil for about 10 minutes until the cashews are very tender, then drain. To soak the cashews: Put the cashews in a bowl, and cover them with water. Let soak for 3-8 hours until very tender then drain.
- Add the cashews along with all of the remaining sauce ingredients to a blender and blend until very smooth and creamy.
- To make the topping: mix together all of the topping ingredients.
- To make the pasta: cook the pasta according to package directions. In the last 30 seconds of cooking time, add all of the spinach to the boiling water along with the pasta. Stir the spinach in until it is all wilted, then drain pasta and spinach together.
- Add the pasta and spinach back into the pot, and add the onion, artichoke, and all of the sauce. Stir to combine. Spread the pasta out into a baking dish. Then evenly shake the breadcrumb mixture overtop. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until hot all the way through, and the breadcrumbs are lightly browned. Serve hot.
Notes
*For oil free, skip the tablespoons of vegan butter in the topping.
Nutrition
Bon Appetegan!
Sam.
Leah says
This is so good! I made this last night with my omnivore boyfriend, and he didn't even say "this would be better with (insert meat or cheese here)". Instead he said "the more I eat it, the more I like it". This is a definite win. This made a LOT for two people, so I think we'll half it next time. I think I'll also add a bit more seasoning too, I'm not sure how well it'll reheat, but I've been picking at the leftovers today and it's not bad cold.
Sam Turnbull says
Awesome!! Thrilled you and your boyfriend loved it so much, Leah 🙂
Zoie says
This was so good! I could not find any dairy free bread crumbs at my grocery store so I used crushed up Ritz crackers which was really tasty! I topped it with Bac’n Bits (which happen to be vegan) which added a nice smoky salty flavor! Definitely will be making this again!
Sam Turnbull says
Oooh that sounds delicious!! Great ideas!
Hayes says
I cannot wait to try this recipe!! Do you think I could substitute the cashews for tahini? My partner has a really serious nut allergy so we can't even have cashews in the house!
Sam Turnbull says
That should work fine, but I haven't tried it. If you he can eat almonds, I know blanched almonds work well. Enjoy!
Josie says
This was surprisingly addictive. It was even good as a leftover, which is unusual for pasta. Next time, I will up the quantity of veggies. Thanks for help feed these new vegans!
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you enjoyed it, Josie. You're most welcome 🙂
Annalyssa says
I am allergic to all nuts - is there any other way to make the sauce?
Sam Turnbull says
Unfortunately, I haven't found anything that I love as a substitute. Some other people in the comments on the mozzarella have found substitutes they are happy with. Enjoy!
Mary says
What if you tried sesame seeds instead? Might alter the flavor a bit but the cream sauce would turn out like a tahini which still goes terrifically with artichokes. 😉
Tina says
Omgosh this was amazing! My parents are vegan, and I am always looking for good recipes to make for them. I did add some Daiya mozzarella cheese to it, but it was a huge hit with everyone (vegans & non vegans). It was incredible!! This recipe is a keeper!
Sam Turnbull says
Yay! Thrilled you loved it so much, Tina 🙂
Dawn says
This is delicious! I made with spaghetti instead of ziti because it’s all I had and it turned out great. I try not to modify recipes the first time I try them but I did make a minor change for convenience and preference. I added the raw onion to the sauce and blended rather than putting chopped into the pasta. It added a nice flavor to the sauce and made my life easier.
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you enjoyed it, Dawn!
Lindsey says
I am thinking of taking this to our church small group dinner. I will need to prepare it before church which is at 5 pm and serve it about 7 pm,. What is your best advice so it will still wow this non-vegan group?
Sam Turnbull says
Sounds great! Everyone loves this dish (vegan or not) so I am sure everyone will enjoy it 🙂
Deirdre Stein says
i don't eat vegan butter or any oil. What alternative can I use for the topping?
Sam Turnbull says
I would just skip the butter and use the bread crumbs, nutritional yeast, and chili powder. Enjoy!
Gina says
Can this be done in a crockpot? I want to take it to a potluck but know it won't keep well if its just in a dish.
Sam Turnbull says
I don't have a crockpot myself, so I haven't experimented with this, but I have heard from other readers that they have done it in a crockpot and loved it! So I would say yes. It's definitely better served hot. Enjoy! 🙂
Kristal J. says
This was delicious! I started Day 1 of my Vegan Challenge, and I found this recipe and your blog last week. So glad about both. I'll definitely be trying more of you recipes.
Sam Turnbull says
Congrats on your vegan challenge!! So happy you loved the recipe. I have some great resources for new vegans here, and basic questions answered here as well. Let me know if you ever have any questions or need any support 🙂
Karen says
This was super delicious - I served it at Easter to a mixed crowd and everyone loved it. I don't recommend making it the day before and reheating it as it lost its creaminess. When I make it again, and I certainly will, I will put the sauce on the pasta just before serving and just brown the topping under the broiler.
Thank you Sam!!! Your recipes are wonderful!
Sam Turnbull says
You are most welcome, Karen. So happy you and the crowd loved it! 🙂
Carrington Orlando says
Love this!!! looks so good! how would it do if i were to prep it but freeze it? and bake at another time?
Sam Turnbull says
I think it should work just fine. Enjoy!
Megan RJ says
This is my new favorite recipe. I didn't have enough spinach so I threw in some chopped up squash and shredded carrots. It was sooo good and easy to make.
Sam Turnbull says
Woohoo! So happy you loved it, Megan!
Amy says
hi there thank you for this tasty recipe. Spinach artichoke cheesy anything is what i miss when not having dairy. the cashew sauce is absolutely amazing. I have made it for a Christmas eve party this evening and will be making another batch but with mushrooms and spinach tomorrow for the family. Havent tasted it yet but anything with that cashew sauce has to be delish. will be a staple im sure in my vegetarian gluten free non dairy house hold.
Sam Turnbull says
Yay! I hope you love it Amy, mushrooms, and spinach additions sound delish! 🙂
Hilary Ledingham says
Hi Sam, can this be frozen? I'm traveling for Christmas and want to take it with me. :
Sam Turnbull says
Personally, I don't think pasta ever freezes well. It would be fine it was made the day before and heated before serving if that helps. Just make sure the pasta is cooked very al dente so that it doesn't get mushy. Enjoy!
Nic says
I learned that lil tip from a The Vegan 8 recipe for cheesy potato and broccoli soup... I remember thinking huh? Pickle juice, really? But I swear it makes it taste rich and cheesy somehow! So I thought to put a lil in this recipe too, and it was delicious! I am so in love with your recipes Sam! You truly make being vegan fun and delicious! 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
Awww thank you! That makes me feel like a million bucks 😀
Nic says
This comfort food recipe was SO delicious!!! Everyone in my household loved and devoured it, even the carnivores! It was creamy, rich, and had just the right amount of crunch. I added a 1/4 cup of pickle juice to the sauce while blending it and it gave it the yummiest cheesy flavor. Can't wait to make this again!
Sam Turnbull says
Woot! So happy everyone loved it. Love this idea of pickle juice, nice little zing! 🙂
Ashley says
Can I skip the nutritional yeast or substitute it in a lesser ratio for soy sauce? I saw in a website that that could work. Just wanted to make sure it would be okay?
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Ashley,
Nutritional yeast provides a cheesy nutty flavour. You can skip it if you like, but it might be a little lacking in flavour. I would not replace it with soy sauce as soy sauce is salty and nutritional yeast isn't. Also the brown colour of soy sauce might make the dip look a funny colour. You could try subbing nutritional yeast with a bit of white miso paste if that helps. Enjoy!
Hilary Ledingham says
Sam, I made this for supper two nights ago and I haven't stopped eating it. I've had it for breakfast and lunch and supper and I can't stop thinking about it. Next time I make it it'll have to be when I have a crowd so I don't end up eating the whole thing myself. So easy and delicious.
Thank you so much. This is definitely on my favourite list!
Sam Turnbull says
Hahaha amazing!!! 😀
Tami Nguyen says
Delicious!
I made some changes to the recipe:
-used cashew butter instead of pricessing raw soake cashew
-used unsweetened almond milk
-added bacon and removed most of the grease after frying
-sautéed onion and chopped spinach after bacon was well cooked
-no nutritional yeast (didn't have any)
-Half a lemon
Fantastically tasty and creamy for the lactose intolerant.
After mixing all the cooked ingredients it already tasted awesome. I would skip the baking if I didn't have time.
Sam Turnbull says
Great, so happy you enjoyed it Tami!