This spinach artichoke pasta skillet is such a fabulous side dish! It’s creamy, cheesy, indulgent and takes barely any time at all. All the classic flavors of your favorite dip mixed with penne pasta! Yum!
This is going to make everyone love you.
This is the perfect little pasta skillet to make for yourself, your favorite ones, your friends – anyone! It’s indulgent and decadent and tastes SPECIAL, making any entree you serve it with feel extra fancy too. Penne pasta is mixed in with baby spinach, chopped artichoke hearts, a creamy cheese sauce and tons of parmesan.
And the best part is that it is not difficult!
P.S. can we take a moment to laugh about the classic spinach wilt?
It’s wild!
This week I’m sharing all sorts of special treats that you can make for Valentine’s day. And this one is right up there.
But how is this a treat, you may ask?
Well, half the time I’d rather have a big pile of cheesy pasta as a treat. Instead of chocolate or cookies.
I am who I am!
A few years ago I shared a chicken spinach artichoke skillet lasagna. That is still such a delicious weeknight meal option. But this one… this one is almost like a spinach artichoke mac and cheese. It’s so creamy and cheesy. Absolutely LOADED with artichoke hearts and wilted spinach, tons of fresh garlic and cheese.
It’s a little pasta dream!
There’s a few key specifics to how I make this. I use fresh baby spinach instead of frozen. Reserved starchy pasta water will help thicken the sauce.
Also, I like to use artichokes that are marinated. Usually in olive oil. But if you use these, you have to make sure to drain them super well and gently pat them dry. Another option is to use the artichoke hearts in brine, which is also good! Again, just make sure to drain them well. You don’t want to add something that is super wet to your pasta skillet.
I also like to give mine a coarse chop, leaving just a handful whole for the top. But mostly because they look pretty. You can chop them all up if it’s easiest for you!
Finally, I stick my skillet under the broiler for just a few minutes to get some of that bubbly brown cheese. It makes it SO flavorful, so cheesy and it’s definitely the part that we all fight over the most.
You can use any cut of pasta but penne is by far my favorite here. The cheese sauce coats it perfectly AND gets stuck inside the pasta tubes. It’s like a little bite of cheese sauce explosion!
I could eat this every single day.
Spinach Artichoke Pasta Skillet
Spinach Artichoke Pasta Skillet
This spinach artichoke pasta skillet is such a fabulous side dish! It’s creamy, cheesy, indulgent and takes barely any time at all. All the classic flavors of your favorite dip mixed with penne pasta! Yum!
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Bring a pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. Cook according to the directions, reserving 1 cup of the starchy pasta water once it’s finished.
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Heat the olive oil in a large cast iron or oven safe skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until softened, about 3 minutes.
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Add in the spinach. You might need to do this in batches so it doesn’t overflow. Stir and cook until the spinach wilts, about 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the garlic.
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Add in the cream cheese, stirring until it melts.
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Stream in ¾ of the pasta water. Add in the penne, most of the cheese (I reserve about ⅓ cup for the top) and the artichoke hearts. Stir until evenly combined. Some of the cheese will melt here too.
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Preheat the oven on your broiler to high.
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Add the remaining cheese on top, sprinkling it all over.
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Stick the pan under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes, watching the entire time so it doesn’t burn. It may even need an additional minute or 2! Just keep an eye on it.
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Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Serve immediately with parmesan on top.
The cheese pulls are everything.
