Artichoke Pasta Bake

For this recipe, we first cook the jarred artichoke hearts in a pan with olive oil, garlic, and peas to make them extra flavorful.

We then blend half of the peas and artichokes with ricotta (or dairy-free ricotta), parmesan (or dairy-free parmesan), and a squeeze of lemon to make an incredible artichoke sauce.

Then, we mix the pasta, cooked al dente, with the creamy artichoke-peas sauce.

Finally, we transfer it into an oven dish, cover it with the remaining artichokes and peas, mozzarella (or vegan cheese), some more ricotta, and parmesan, and bake it in the oven for about 20 minutes until the cheese melts.

The result is incredible and probably the best artichoke pasta we've ever had!

The combination of blended artichokes and peas with the actual pieces of artichokes is out of this world. Every bit of this pasta bake tastes incredible, and we're sure you will love it!

TIP: Are you curious about artichokes? Here's our ultimate guide on how to cook with artichokes with 12+ easy artichoke recipes.

Pasta

We like to use rigatoni for pasta bakes because they keep al dente, and the sauce gets in the hole, making them super tasty. You can choose any short pasta type.

Artichokes

We recommend using jarred artichokes hearts.

However, you can also use fresh artichokes or frozen artichoke hearts that you first sauté on a pan.

Here's our guide on how to clean artichokes and the recipe for sautéed artichokes.

Peas

We think peas taste delicious with artichokes. They add sweetness, color, and protein to this pasta dish. We recommend using frozen peas.

Olive oil

Extra virgin olive oil is used for frying the garlic and cooking the other veggies. It helps build a delicious flavor base for this pasta dish.

Garlic

Garlic is delicious with artichokes, and it adds flavor to the sauce.

Lemon

Lemon juice adds freshness and a touch of acidity to the sauce.

Salt and pepper

We use sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Cheese

We recommend using ricotta, parmesan, and mozzarella; however, if you are vegan, you can easily switch those for dairy-free vegan alternatives.

We tried this recipe several times with our vegan ricotta cheese, vegan parmesan, and store-bought vegan cheese that melts or vegan white sauce. It turned out delicious!

Warm up the olive oil in a large skillet, add finely chopped garlic, and fry gently for 1 minute.

Add jarred artichokes drained from their marinating liquid, frozen peas, salt, black pepper, and 1 cup of water, and cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring often.

Transfer half of the artichoke-peas mixture into a food processor. Add half the parmesan, half the ricotta, and the juice of half a lemon.

Blend until you get a sauce with a pesto-like consistency. Add some water if necessary.

Cook the pasta al dente in a large pot of salted boiling water. When the pasta is ready, reserve one cup of pasta water, drain it and add it to a large mixing bowl.

Add the artichoke-pea sauce and mix until well combined. Add some pasta water if necessary.

Bake the pasta

Transfer the pasta to a lightly oiled baking dish and top it with the remaining peas and artichokes.

Sprinkle half a cup of reserved pasta water on top; it'll help the dish stay moist as it bakes.

Arrange the leftover ricotta and parmesan cheese on top of the pasta, then sprinkle with shredded or chopped mozzarella cheese.

Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F or 180°C for about 20 minutes, or until the cheese melts and looks golden brown on top.

Tip: Before baking, you can cover in foil and refrigerate for up to 24 hours or freeze for three months.

Serve immediately, with a sprinkle of fresh parsley if you like.

You can make a similar recipe with roasted pumpkin, half of which we blend to make a creamy pumpkin sauce.

Check out our pumpkin pasta bake recipe.

Serve this artichoke pasta bake as a main dish with a side of fresh greens, such as:

• Shaved Brussels sprout salad (Brussels sprouts, dried cranberries, walnuts, maple syrup).
• Fennel and orange salad (fennel, orange wedges, black olives, pomegranate seeds).
• Chickpea salad (canned chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, parsley, mustard, olive oil).
• Red cabbage slaw (red cabbage, green apple, walnuts, carrots, maple syrup).
• Carrot salad (carrots, parsley, lemon juice, olive oil, maple syrup).
• Simple side salad (leafy greens, carrot, cherry tomatoes, celery, red onion).

How to cook pasta?

You'll need a large pot of salted water as follows:

• 8 ounces of pasta (230 grams): cook pasta in 2 quarts of boiling water (8 cups or 2 Liters) with 1 tablespoon of salt (15 grams). Serves 2 - 3 people.
• 12 ounces of pasta (340 grams): cook pasta in 3 quarts of boiling water (12 cups or 3 Liters) with 1 ½ tablespoons of salt (21 grams). Serves 4 people.
• 1 pound of pasta (450 grams): cook pasta in 1 gallon of boiling water (16 cups or 4 Liters) with 2 tablespoons of salt (30 grams). Serves 5-6 people.

How much pasta per person?

Guidelines recommend 2.1 to 3.5 ounces or 60 to 100 grams of pasta per person, depending on your calorie needs.

Pasta portion sizes vary if you have pasta as a main and only meal or if it's part of a 2 - 3 course menu.

Also, remember that a simple pasta with tomato and basil will have substantially different calories and macros than this artichoke pasta bake or baked ziti with cheese.

Make ahead: it's possible to build the pasta bake in the baking dish ahead of time. Cover with the cheese as per instructions, then wrap it in foil or plastic and refrigerate for up to 24 hours or freeze for up to 3 months. When you are ready to bake it, let it thaw for 1 hour before doing so. Baking time will be longer for a cold artichoke pasta bake, at around 30 minutes.

Refrigerator: store leftovers in the fridge; you can keep them in the baking dish, wrapped in plastic, for up to 2 days. If you haven't baked it yet, you can refrigerate it for up to 24 hours.

Freezer: we don't recommend freezing leftovers. However, you can freeze the artichoke pasta bake before baking it, wrapped in plastic, for up to 3 months.

Reheat: we recommend warming your leftovers in the microwave.

More Artichoke Recipes

If you love cooking with fresh or canned artichokes, get green and bright inspiration from the artichokes ideas:

• How to cook artichokes with 10+ artichoke recipes and cleaning tips.
• Creamy artichoke pasta with artichoke pesto, ready in 20 minutes.
• Steamed artichokes: the easiest way to steam and flavor fresh artichokes.
• Roasted artichokes with potatoes, a flavorful and tender side dish.
• Braised artichokes: one of the tastiest ways to eat artichokes, with garlic, lemon, and olive oil.

Get more pasta ideas with these veggie-packed dinner ideas:

• Mushroom Bolognese (mushrooms, spaghetti, rosemary, carrot, onion, tomato paste).
• Pasta aglio e olio (spaghetti, garlic, olive oil, red pepper flakes, fresh parsley).
• Easy mushroom pasta (tagliatelle, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, white wine).
• Lentil pasta (ditalini pasta, green lentils, onion, carrot, garlic, rosemary).
• Pasta e Ceci (chickpeas, short, pasta, tomato paste, garlic, onion, rosemary).
• Easy Pasta e Fagioli (kidney or pinto beans, pasta, sage, bay leaves, tomato paste).

For many more pasta ideas, check out our pasta category page.

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