Baked Artichoke and Spinach Pasta
My creamy spinach and artichoke baked pasta is everything you want in a comfort meal! The artichokes and spinach are the perfect match to the creamy ricotta, and nutty Parmigiano Reggiano and Fontina cheese. This pasta is easy enough for weeknights but great for gatherings too!
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 pound rigatoni or other tubular shaped pasta
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 10-ounce block frozen spinach thawed and water squeezed out
- 3 14-ounce cans artichoke hearts quartered, drained
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cups ricotta
- 2 cups shredded fontina cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano divided
- 1/2 cup reserved pasta water
- 1/3 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- Bring a pot of salted water to boil and cook the rigatoni until very al dente. About 2 minutes less than package instructions.
- Heat the olive in a large pan to medium heat then add the onions and a pinch of salt. Once the onions are soft, add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes or until very fragrant. Add the spinach and artichoke hearts and cook for another minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste then set the pan aside.
- Add the contents of the pan to a large bowl along with a 1/2 cup of pasta water, heavy cream, ricotta, Fontina cheese, and 1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano and mix together.
- Add the pasta to the bowl and mix once more. Taste test and adjust salt and pepper as required. Place contents of the bowl in a 9 by 13 baking dish. Top with the remaining parmesan and sprinkle the breadcrumbs. Cover with parchment paper then foil and bake for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes remove covering and bake for 5 minutes more until golden. For even more color broil for the last 1-2 minutes but watch very carefully.
- Wait 20 minutes before serving so that the pasta settles. Enjoy!
Notes
- Servings. The recipe makes 4 very large or 6 normal size servings.
- Pasta. Undercook the pasta by about 2-3 minutes, since it will cook longer in the oven.
- Cheese substitutes. Mozzarella, soft provolone, or swiss can all be substituted for Fontina cheese.
- Drain the spinach. Make sure to drain the spinach by squeezing the water out. This will prevent the baked pasta from becoming too liquidy.
- No sticking. Placing parchment paper then foil over the pasta will ensure no sticking.
- Leftovers. Baked artichoke and spinach pasta can be saved for up to 3 days and can be reheated in the microwave.
Nutrition
Calories: 711kcal | Carbohydrates: 67.7g | Protein: 28.4g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 18.7g | Cholesterol: 197mg | Sodium: 650mg | Fiber: 4.8g | Sugar: 4g | Calcium: 508mg | Iron: 4mg
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