Mushroom Spinach Pasta with Artichokes

This mushroom spinach pasta recipe is a one-pot pasta dinner that’s loaded with fresh spinach, artichokes, mushrooms then tossed in a creamy sauce, and it all comes together in under 20 minutes! Serve it with your favorite protein on the side or add some chicken into the pasta to make an entire meal all in one bowl.

Spinach Artichoke Pasta Recipe

There are very few things I enjoy more than a creamy spinach artichoke dip. When does well, the combination of the spinach and artichokes is just perfect.

I took that idea of spinach artichoke dip with the fresh spinach, salty artichokes, and lots of creamy cheese and turned into into this one-pot pasta dish. I used similar ingredients to a classic spinach artichoke dip then upgraded it with the addition of mushrooms (also kind of a creamy texture) and crumbled bacon on top at the very end to give it some crunch!

The result is a simple yet satisfying pasta dish that includes enough veggies that you won’t even have to add some on the side! Plus, it take less than 20 minutes, which makes this the perfect addition to your weekly dinner lineup!

• Penne pasta – while I like this with penne, you could do any other tube pasta or even something like farfalle. I’d stay away from long pastas like spaghetti or linguini.
• Chicken broth – you can use regular chicken broth or chicken bone broth. If you want to make this a vegetarian or meatless dish, you could also substitute with vegetable broth.
• Minced garlic – you’ll need four medium-sized cloves of garlic, minced. I always recommend mincing your own fresh garlic using a garlic press rather than the jarred stuff – fresh garlic has way more flavor!
• Fresh mushrooms – you can use any kind of mushrooms you want, just make sure they’re sliced. I like baby bella mushrooms, button mushrooms, and even cremini mushrooms. Slice them or buy them pre-sliced.
• Cooking oil – you can use either olive oil or avocado oil for this, either one works great.

• Artichoke hearts – you can use canned, jarred, or or even frozen. Just make sure they are plain and not marinated in anything. If you choose to go with frozen, allow them to thaw first, then drain out any excess liquid. With either frozen or canned, rough chop them and strain them to remove any liquid.
• Spinach – this recipe needs fresh, not frozen spinach. Frozen will carry too much liquid and can potentially dilute the sauce. Plus, it doesn’t wilt and mix into the pasta in quite the same way! Regular spinach or baby spinach works great!
• Bacon – I really like adding cooked and crumbled bacon to the top of this spinach artichoke pasta, but this is optional. Again, if you want to make this a vegetarian dish, skip the bacon.
• Grated parmesan – finely grated parmesan, not shredded. You want it to mix into the sauce and cling to the pasta and shredded just doesn’t do that in the same way.

The thing I love most about this recipe is that other than cooking the pasta itself, it’s a one-pot recipe, which means it’s all made in one pot. And it’s pretty simple because you’re only having to pay attention to one thing at a time.

1 – Cook your pasta

First things first, cook your pasta according to package directions in a large pot. You can do this in the same pan you’ll cook the food in or you can do it in another pot while you’re working on the veggies and sauce to make things faster.

The pasta won’t really cook again (you’re just adding it to the sauce later), so you want to cook it as much as you would if you were just eating it on its own. When the water starts to boil, I recommend starting your sauce (after you drop the pasta).

2 – Cook the Veggies

Heat a large skillet or saute pan (large enough to hold a pound of pasta) on medium-high heat and once heated, add the olive oil and garlic. Stir that around for thirty seconds then add the mushrooms.

Cook the mushrooms until softened, typically 3-5 minutes depending on the type of mushrooms. The cook time will depend on the type of mushrooms you are using, the type of pan you’re using, and how how your stove gets. Watch them and check after three minutes to see if they are soft.

Once mushrooms are soft, add the chopped artichokes and cook for another two minutes.

Then add the fresh spinach and cook until wilted, typically about one minute.

Remove the mushroom spinach mixture and place in a heat safe container and set aside for now.

3 – Make the spinach mushroom pasta sauce

Once the veggies are all out, add the butter to the same pan, still on medium heat, and allow it to completely melt.

Once melted, sprinkle the flour (to thicken the sauce), thyme, nutmeg, salt, and pepper over the butter and cook for one minute or until bubbly. Don’t let it cook too long or it’ll brown, which will change the taste for the dish completely.

Then add the two cups of chicken broth and the cup of cream to the mixture, simmer until thickened, typically three to five minutes.

Once the sauce has thickened, turn the heat to low (so the sauce doesn’t burn) and add the grated parmesan cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted and fully incorporated into the sauce.

Taste the sauce then add any additional salt and pepper you prefer.

4 – Finish the Mushroom Spinach Pasta

Add the strained pasta and veggie mix directly to the sauce and stir to combine everything together.

Remove from heat and serve the creamy mushroom pasta hot topped with crumbled bacon and more fresh parmesan cheese.

Recipe FAQs

If you like adding pasta recipes to your weekly menu, try these new recipes next!

• Instant Pot fettuccini Alfredo – this is truly a one-pot meal where that pot is an Instant Pot. Super easy and delicious!
• Creamy pesto pasta – a simple no-cook pesto recipe gets mixed with pasta for the fastest ever pasta dish!
• Sweet spaghetti sauce – if you like things sweet, this meat sauce uses honey for a sweeter pasta experience!
• Baked ziti with ricotta – this one-pan ziti is all cooked in literally one pan, then baked to perfection!
• Ground turkey and pasta – when you combine ground turkey, kale, and veggies – you get this tasty pasta dish!

This recipe was originally published in 2016. The recipe was overhauled in 2022 and updated again in 2025 with better photos and instructions.