Something told me to make a vegan pasta version of the spinach & artichoke dip. Yep, I did it. And also, it doesn’t taste vegan at all. For some strange reason, VioLife’s parmesan cheese tastes just like authentic parmesan cheese. I mean it is perfect. And it made this vegan spinach & artichoke pasta taste to die for. I am most certainly sure that you can fool any carnivore into thinking that this recipe isn’t vegan.
Due to the fact that I used yogurt in addition to the coconut milk, this pasta came out so creamy. However, you do not have to add in yogurt if you don’t want to. It’s completely optional. And if you’re going to use yogurt, I strongly suggest you to use a yogurt that does not have such a distinct taste. In other words, do not use your blueberry yogurt to this pasta.
In conclusion, I want to let you all know that yes… I used Banza’s Chickpea Penne for this recipe. You all should know by now that their pasta is my favorite because you literally cannot tell that it’s made from chickpeas. Also, it tastes amazing. So if you haven’t tried it yet, go ahead and do so. No, this post isn’t sponsored. I’m just a huge fan of their pasta!
How to make vegan spinach & artichoke pasta:
Well, for starters, you will need some type of vegan cheese. The BEST vegan parmesan cheese brand is VioLife. I don’t have any vegan mozzarella cheese in the house, so therefore I didn’t use any! You can make it the same way I did and then top with mozzarella cheese. I suggest you to use a good melting vegan mozzarella cheese and then place it under your boiler for a few minutes. This will taste amazing!
While you can use fresh artichokes and go through the whole process if you choose to do so. I chose not to go through all of that and used my frozen artichoke hearts. Or, if you’re extra lazy then you can use the jarred frozen artichokes. Although, if you use them then I suggest you to rinse them with water or buy the ones that aren’t loaded with sodium.
Lastly, I want to mention that the best milk to use for this recipe is coconut milk. I am more than sure that using almond milk (unsweetened of course), cashew milk, or any other nut milk will taste delicious – but, it won’t be as delicious as this one made with coconut milk. I’m not sure why, but the seasoning just taste so “alive” mixed in with the coconut milk. I don’t even know what word to use other than alive, for some reason that is the first word I thought of. Haha.
Want more recipes?
- Roasted Garlic Tomato Pasta
- Black Truffle Alfredo Pasta
- Creamy Goat Cheese Pasta
- Creamy Vegetable Radiatore
Vegan Spinach & Artichoke Pasta
Ingredients
- 6 oz Chickpea Penne
- 1 cup Reduced Fat Coconut Milk
- 2 tbsp Vegan Yogurt (make sure it is flavorless, do not add in any “fruity” yogurt)
- 1 tbsp Earth Balance Butter
- 1 tbsp All Purpose Flour
- 1/2 cup VioLife Vegan Parmesan Cheese Wedge, shredded
- 2 cups Baby Spinach
- 1 cup Frozen Artichoke Hearts
- 1 tsp Za’atar (or italian seasoning or herbs de provence)
- 1 tsp Garlic Salt
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/4 tsp Smoked Paprika
Instructions
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Start by boiling the pasta according to instructions. Drain the pasta after it’s done cooking, rinse the pasta, and then place into a colander and allow to sit while preparing the sauce.
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Cook the frozen artichoke hearts according to instructions. Since I am using the Trader Joe’s frozen artichoke hearts, I rinsed them for 1 minute inside of a colander and then microwaved them with 2 tbsp of water for 3 minutes. Remove from microwave and allow to cool.
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Heat a non-stick skillet over medium high heat and add in 1 tbsp of butter. Allow the butter to foam for at least one minute and then add in the four. Whisk immediately. Continue to whisk until it forms a paste. Allow this to cook for 1 minute. Add in the coconut milk. Whisk until it begins to thicken, then add in the za’atar, garlic salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika. Continue to whisk and then add in the vegan parmesan cheese and yogurt. Start with a 1/2 cup of cheese, if that’s not enough cheese for you, then add more.
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Add in the pasta, spinach, and artichoke hearts. Mix until the sauce completely covers the pasta.
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Remove the pasta from heat and top with more shredded vegan parmesan cheese.
Notes
- Sauce too thick? Reserve pasta water (or use regular water) and use it to thin it out.
- The cheese measurement in this recipe isn’t exact since I did not measure it. I added in a lot of the vegan cheese, so this is merely an estimate. Add as much vegan parmesan as you desire. It will turn out good with too much of this, since the cheese isn’t as strong tasting as regular parmesan cheese.
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