This amazing Artichoke and Spinach pasta with chicken is like your favorite dip turned into a decadent creamy pasta dinner!
With a luscious, garlicky, alfredo-style cream sauce, tons of melty mozzarella cheese, and the perfect amount of chopped artichokes and baby spinach, your family will beg you to make this easy meal again and again.
I don’t know about you, but I am a HUGE fan of spinach artichoke dip. It’s one of my go-to recipes to make when I need an appetizer for a party, or a little snack for a cozy night in.
So I wondered, if spinach and artichoke dip is that good, why are we only enjoying it as an appetizer?
It’s certainly delicious enough and rich enough to be a main dish – all it needs is some pasta and chicken to become transformed into this perfectly creamy and cheesy casserole.
I’m topping my pasta with artichokes and spinach with sliced grilled chicken, but you can easily leave the chicken out and enjoy this as a satisfying vegetarian meal too.
If you like this artichoke and spinach pasta recipe, let me turn you on to a couple of other ultra-cheesy pasta casserole recipes! Creamy Chicken Spaghetti and my Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole will be right up your alley too.
Artichoke and Spinach Pasta Recipe Highlights
- Favorite Flavors – We already know that spinach and artichoke dip is a hit, so this pasta dinner is sure to be well-received by your family.
- Super Creamy Sauce – This recipe is, in a word, decadent. The garlic cream sauce with spinach and artichokes is thick and rich, and incredibly satisfying to eat.
- Step By Step Instructions – There is a lot going on in this recipe, but I promise you that every ingredient and every step is important to the final result. Measure out your ingredients ahead of time and follow along with the recipe for a guaranteed delicious meal.
Key Ingredients
Here’s everything you need, plus some info on the most important ingredients:
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- Pasta: You can choose any pasta shape that you enjoy for this recipe, but I’m using farfalle or bowtie pasta. This pasta’s short shape and texture hold on to the rich sauce wonderfully. This recipe would be great with penne or rotini too.
- Artichoke Hearts: I usually have a can of these in my pantry, ready to go. Look for artichokes canned in water rather than oil, and drain and chop them before using.
- Fresh Spinach: Regular or baby spinach can be used in this recipe. The leaves will melt down into the sauce at the end.
- Garlic and Onion: We’ll saute these to give our cream sauce a rich, savory base flavor.
- White Wine: I love the sophisticated flavor that a bit of dry white wine gives this dish. If you’d rather avoid it, use water or broth to deglaze the pan instead.
- Seasonings: To balance the richness of the cream sauce, a little bit of heat works really well. Along with salt and pepper, you’ll need crushed red pepper flakes.
- Whole Milk, Sour Cream, and Cream Cheese: to make the most decadent cream sauce.
- Mozzarella Cheese: Top the pasta with shredded mozzarella just before placing it under the broiler until it’s brown and bubbly.
How To Make Artichoke and Spinach Pasta with Chicken
Tip!
Instead of grilling the chicken, feel free to cook it using your favorite method. Try it baked, pan-seared, or air fried.
Recipe Tips
- Save some pasta water. You may or may not need it, but it’s always better to have some. Keep a cup of the hot cooking water from the pasta in case you want to loosen the cream sauce later.
- Take your time with the sauce. Full instructions for making the cream sauce are in the recipe card. Pay attention and follow along, adding ingredients in the order that they’re called for, and keeping your burner at medium-low heat.
- Cook out the wine. Once you’ve deglazed the pan, take the time to let the wine cook off until the pan is almost dry. If you don’t, the cream sauce will separate from the excess liquid.
- Instead of grilled chicken, pair this pasta dish with a different protein. Try grilled steak, poached salmon, or sauteed shrimp.
Storing Tips
To store leftovers, keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To reheat, I suggest warming individual servings in the microwave with just a touch of water added to loosen the sauce up.
How to Serve Spinach and Artichoke Dip Pasta
Once you’re finished cooking this recipe, you’ll have a full and balanced meal all ready to go, but I enjoyed eating the pasta with garlic crostini, just like I would with artichoke dip!
To add extra veggies to your dinner, serve this with a light and simple tossed green salad.
Recipe FAQs
Can I use frozen spinach?
If you don’t have fresh spinach, you can absolutely use frozen. You will want to thaw the spinach first and then squeeze out as much of the liquid as you possibly can before adding it to the sauce.
What if my skillet isn’t oven-safe?
Cook the pasta as directed, but before adding the mozzarella cheese, transfer it to a casserole dish. This way, you can still broil the cheese and you won’t ruin your cookware.
What else can I add to spinach artichoke pasta?
Feel free to add some extra veggies to the mix along with fresh baby spinach. Sauteed onions, bell peppers, or broccoli would all be delicious.
Can I make this gluten-free?
You can! Instead of standard pasta, use gluten-free pasta that is sturdy enough to hold the sauce and hold up to being baked.
You’re going to love having spinach and artichoke dip for dinner so much! Make this delicious pasta dish now, or Pin the recipe to save it for later.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Artichoke and Spinach Pasta
Equipment
- Oven proof skillet/casserole pan
Ingredients
Chicken
- 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
Pasta
- 10 ounces (285 g) dried pasta bowtie or similar
- 1 tablespoon (13 g) butter
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
- 1 medium sweet onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 14-ounce can (400 g) artichoke hearts drained and coarsely chopped
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (120 ml) dry white wine
- 2 cups (480 ml) whole milk warm
- ¼ cup (60 g) sour cream
- 3 ounces (85 g) cream cheese cubed
- ½ cup (43 g) grated parmesan cheese
- 5 ounces (140 g) fresh spinach
- 1 ½ cups (168 g) shredded mozzarella cheese
- Fresh parsley for serving, optional
- water and salt for boiling the pasta
Instructions
Chicken:
- Pound the chicken breasts out to be an even thickness.
- Mix together the oil, lemon juice, salt, garlic powder, pepper, and paprika. Pour over the chicken and massage into the meat.
- Let rest for 15 minutes while the grill preheats.
- When the grill is hot, grill the chicken until it has reached 165° F (64°C) internal temperature. Remove from heat and let rest. Slice before serving.
Pasta:
- Fill a large pot with water, season liberally with salt. Bring to a boil over high heat.
- Once boiling add the dry pasta to the water, stirring occasionally. Boil the pasta until it is al dente, then remove from heat and drain the water. If your pasta finishes cooking before the rest of your dish. You can add a drizzle of olive oil to the finished pasta to help keep it from sticking to each other.
- In a large oven safe saute pan, add the butter and oil, heat on medium high heat until the butter is melted.
- Add the diced onions and saute until golden, then add the garlic, artichoke hearts, and remaining seasonings. Saute for a few minutes until the garlic is fragrant.
- Deglaze the pan with the white wine. Let cook until almost all of the wine has been absorbed and the pan is almost dry.
- Add the warm milk, once the milk is hot, reduce heat and add the sour cream and cream cheese. Mix until smooth.
- When the cream cheese has melted into the milk, slowly add the parmesan cheese a bit at a time while stirring.
- When the sauce has come together and begins to thicken just a bit, add the fresh spinach. Stir until the spinach has wilted.
- Add the drained pasta. Toss until the pasta is coated, then top the pasta with the mozzarella.
- Place the pasta under a broiler until the top is golden brown and bubbly.
- Serve immediately with the sliced grilled chicken, and fresh parsley if desired.
Notes:
- Save some pasta water. You may or may not need it, but it’s always better to have some. Keep a cup of the hot cooking water from the pasta in case you want to loosen the cream sauce later.
- Take your time with the sauce. Full instructions for making the cream sauce are in the recipe card. Pay attention and follow along, adding ingredients in the order that they’re called for, and keeping your burner at medium-low heat.
- Cook out the wine. Once you’ve deglazed the pan, take the time to let the wine cook off until the pan is almost dry. If you don’t, the cream sauce will separate from the excess liquid.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
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