Hey party peeps! Anyone else out there love Spinach and Artichoke Dip? What about Pasta? If you said yes then you’re going to love this Spinach Artichoke Pasta. It’s full of fresh spinach and a creamy sauce that’s just plain delicious.
Warm up with this Spinach Artichoke Pasta (Vegan)
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Some sort of comfort pasta has been on my menu each and every week for the past month. Nothing says winter like warm, hearty, creamy dishes that leave you so so sooo satisfied. This Spinach Artichoke Pasta is just that for me. To add bulk and substance to the pasta, I cut the artichoke hearts into chunks so that they stood out in the sauce. It gave the sauce texture throughout the entire dish.
Of course, you can’t have artichokes without spinach. Those two always go together and simply complement each other so well. You could use frozen spinach for this recipe, just make sure to thaw it out before adding to the pasta. If you don’t the sauce might get a little watery. This version has fresh spinach because, well, that’s all I had on hand.
Whenever I’m making a pasta dish with fresh spinach, I take a little shortcut with saute it. Since it can overcook very quickly, I like to put it in the bottom of a colander and drain the pasta over the greens. Once drained, I like to either to stir it so the spinach goes on top or put the pasta and spinach back into the pot. This way, the spinach is wilted and warmed through without being overcooked and withered away to nothing.
Two ingredients helped make this sauce extra creamy. Soaked Cashews and Cauliflower. I’m a little ‘meh’ about cauliflower when it’s blanched or even roasted sometimes. It takes a lot to make that veggie exciting for me. Yet, I continue to buy it with the best intentions. When it doesn’t get eaten and it about to go south, I blanch the florets and freeze them with the sole purpose to blend them somehow in the future. This time around, the frozen florets were the perfect pairing for a creamy sauce.
Soaked cashews are a great foundation for a creamy sauce. Add a few other ingredients and you can make a vegan cheese sauce, alfredo sauces, sour cream, and so much more. Combined with the cauliflower (and a few other items) this sauce can together in a flash and proved to be so silky and smooth for the Spinach Artichoke Pasta.
Simple Tip of the Day
Hiding veggies in a sauce is a trick that everyone should master. Whether you have a picky kiddo, a significant other that needs some convincing, or heck, if you need some convincing yourself, it’s the perfect way to get extra nutrients and flavors in a dish. Some of my favorite vegetables to transform and hide and cauliflower, zucchini, squash/pumpkin and kale/spinach/greens.
For cauliflower, squash, and pumpkin, I simply roast it off and throw it in a blender with whatever sauce I’m making. Alfredo, cheese, and white sauces hide these really well. These also make great base for a new-to-you (or partially made up sauce) just to use up veggies. I do this all the time when I don’t want to eat the vegetable but don’t want it to go to waste either. Win win all the way around.
Zucchini is a baking match made in heaven. This can be shredded and added to breads, muffins, pancakes and so much more. Try them in these Zucchini Nut Butter Brownies if your craving something sweet.
To pack in extra greens into your diet, throwing them in smoothies is a no-brainer. I also blend them up into a pesto or puree to add to a sauce. Throw on top of a pasta and your good to go!
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Time for you to test it out! Enjoy 
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Ingredients
- 1 cup cauliflower
- 3/4 cup soaked cashews
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 3/4 cup almond milk
- 1 teaspoon parsley
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- Salt and Pepper to paste
- 1/2 can artichoke hearts, finely chopped
- 2 cup fresh spinach
- 2 cups pasta of choice, dry
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 1 sprig thyme
Instructions
- To start the sauce, bring a 2 cups of water to a boil and add in cauliflower. Let the cauliflower cook until it's tender and you can easily poke it with a fork.
- Drain and rinse the cashews.
- Add the cauliflower, cashews, nutritional yeast, almond milk, and spices to a blend. Blend on high for 2-3 minutes until it's smooth and creamy. Set aside.
- Bring another pot of water to a boil and salt the water. Add in the pasta and cook until it's al dente. Drain and set aside.
- While the pasta is cooking, heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large sauce pan. Toss in garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add in the finely chopped artichoke hearts.
- Add in 1/4 of the sauce and toss the artichokes in it.
- Stir in the cooked herbs, pasta and spinach. Slowly incorporate the spinach until it's wilted slightly.
- Add the rest of the sauce and combine everything.
- Serve warm and enjoy!
Your Turn!
How do you sneak veggies into dishes?
What’s your favorite pasta comfort food?
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