Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Pasta
- 450 g rigatoni pasta, dry
Creamy Spinach-Artichoke Sauce
- 30 ml olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, medium, peeled and diced into 5mm pieces
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced
- 300 g frozen chopped spinach, fully thawed
- 280 g marinated artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
- 225 g cream cheese, softened to room temperature, cut into 2cm cubes
- 240 g sour cream, full-fat
- 120 ml whole milk
- fine sea salt
- black pepper, freshly ground
- 1 g red pepper flakes
Cheese Topping
- 200 g low-moisture mozzarella cheese, freshly shredded
- 75 g parmesan cheese, finely grated
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 780 kcal
- Protein
- 26 g
- Carbohydrates
- 73 g
- Fat
- 56 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sodium
- 2485 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 18 g
- Iron
- 4.1 mg
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 200°C/400°F. Lightly grease a 23x33 cm (9x13 inch) baking dish with olive oil or softened butter.
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Salt the water generously (about 15g) until it tastes like sea water, then add the rigatoni. Cook for 2 minutes less than the package directions for al dente, about 8 minutes. Reserve 250ml of the pasta water before draining in a colander.
Place the thawed spinach in the center of a clean kitchen towel. Gather the edges, twist tightly over the sink, and squeeze firmly to extract as much water as possible. You should end up with a compact ball of dry spinach weighing about 150g.
Using a chef's knife on a cutting board, peel the onion and dice it into small, even 5mm pieces.
Finely mince the garlic cloves on the cutting board.
Drain the marinated artichoke hearts thoroughly in the colander, then roughly chop them into bite-sized pieces about 1cm wide.
Heat the olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Do not allow the garlic to brown.
Add the squeezed spinach and chopped artichoke hearts to the skillet. Stir to combine and cook until heated through, about 3 minutes.
Add the cream cheese cubes, sour cream, and milk. Stir continuously with a wooden spoon until the cream cheese melts completely and the sauce turns smooth and velvety, about 3 minutes. If the sauce looks too thick, splash in a little of the reserved pasta water.
Season the sauce with salt, freshly ground black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir and taste; remember that the parmesan will add saltiness, so season conservatively at this stage. Adjust as needed.
Add the drained rigatoni to the skillet and gently toss until every tube is coated in the creamy sauce.
Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish. Spread evenly, then sprinkle the shredded mozzarella over the top, followed by the grated parmesan.
Bake uncovered in the center of the oven until the cheese is fully melted, bubbling up at the edges, and golden brown on top, about 25 minutes. The center of the dish should reach an internal temperature of 74°C/165°F.
Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving. This short rest lets the starches in the sauce set so it clings to the pasta rather than pooling on the plate.
Chef's Notes
- Reserve that pasta water. Starchy and salty, it is the secret weapon for loosening the sauce later if it tightens up in the oven. Add a tablespoon at a time, never more than 60ml total.
- Use full-fat dairy across the board. Reduced-fat cream cheese and sour cream tend to weep liquid during baking, leaving you with a thinner, broken sauce.
- For deeper, nuttier flavor, swap the olive oil for 15g of browned butter when sautéing the onions; the toasted dairy notes pair especially well with the artichokes.
- Let the casserole rest for at least 5 minutes after it leaves the oven. Cutting in immediately yields a runny plate; the short rest allows the starches to set so the sauce clings to each tube of pasta.
- If you like a crispy cheese skirt along the edges of the dish, spread a thin ribbon of olive oil around the rim of the baking dish before adding the pasta. The exposed edges will crisp into lacy frico.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Cool to room temperature within 2 hours, then transfer to an airtight container or cover the dish tightly. Reheat covered to an internal temperature of 74°C/165°F.
Freezer: 3 months — Cool completely, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and foil or transfer to a freezer-safe container. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Reheating: Reheat individual portions in a 175°C/350°F oven covered with foil for 15 minutes, then uncovered for 5 minutes to restore the golden crust. For quicker results, microwave on medium power for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring halfway; the top will not re-crisp as well.
Troubleshooting
Pasta turns out mushy or sticky after baking
Cause: The pasta was cooked to full al dente before baking, so it absorbed too much sauce moisture during the time in the oven.
Fix: Cannot be fully reversed, but serve immediately and avoid stirring the pasta more than necessary to limit further breakdown.
Prevention: Always undercook the pasta by 2 minutes during the initial boil so it can finish cooking in the oven without going soft.
Watery, soupy pasta in the baking dish
Cause: Frozen spinach was not squeezed dry enough, or the marinated artichokes retained too much brine.
Fix: Carefully tip the dish and spoon off visible liquid, then return to a 220°C/425°F oven for 8 to 10 minutes to drive off moisture. Reduce the milk by 30ml next time.
Prevention: Squeeze the thawed spinach aggressively in a clean towel until almost no more liquid comes out, and drain the artichokes thoroughly before chopping.
Sauce looks grainy or separated
Cause: The cream cheese was added while still cold, or the heat was too high, causing the dairy to break.
Fix: Remove from the heat and whisk vigorously. If the sauce remains broken, blend a splash of warm milk into it with an immersion blender until smooth.
Prevention: Soften the cream cheese to room temperature before starting and keep the skillet over medium-low heat when incorporating the dairy.
Cheese topping burns before the dish is hot in the center
Cause: The baking dish was placed on a rack too close to the upper heating element.
Fix: Loosely cover the dish with foil for the rest of the bake so the cheese stops browning while the center finishes heating through.
Prevention: Position the rack in the center of the oven before preheating, and tent the dish with foil at the first sign of deep browning.
Cultural Context
Spinach and artichoke dip emerged as a classic American party appetizer in the 1980s and 90s, prized for its creamy tang and make-ahead convenience. This baked pasta reimagines those beloved dip flavors as a hearty weeknight main course, borrowing the Italian-American tradition of baked pasta casseroles like ziti and pasta al forno while keeping the bright, briny profile of the original dip front and center.
