Dinner, Healthy, Pasta, Stove Top, Vegan, Winter

Vegan Spinach Artichoke Pasta with Crispy Fried Shallots

This vegan spinach artichoke pasta is the perfect weeknight dinner. Made with silken tofu, tender artichoke and an alarming amount of spinach, it’s packed with nutrients but still has everything you want from a comforting, cheesy pasta dish. Not to mention those insanely delicious fried shallots… be warned, they’re hard to stop eating. Plantbased, nut free and easy to make, everything comes together in less than 30 minutes!

Vegan spinach artichoke pasta

The Ingredients Needed to Make This Spinach Artichoke Pasta Recipe

Silken Tofu: Many other vegan creamy pasta recipes will use cashews or coconut cream as a base, but to keep things a little lighter I like to use tofu. It’s the perfect thickener for the sauce and also adds a little protein to the dish.

Shallots: An important part of this recipe because you’ll need them for both the sauce and the fried shallot topping. I prefer shallots over onions for their sweetness and size.

Miso, soy sauce and nutritional yeast: I like to call this the holy trinity of vegan cooking. All of these ingredients contribute an element of umami to the cream sauce. The miso and soy sauce are salty while the nutritional yeast gives us that distinct cheesy flavor.

Spinach: Like I said, you will need A LOT of spinach for this recipe. It’s part of what makes it so good for you! I’m always amazed at how much it shrinks down once it hits the warm sauce. I like to use baby spinach as it’s a little milder.

Artichoke hearts: If you don’t know, I LOVE artichoke hearts. I could seriously eat a whole can as a snack. For this vegan spinach artichoke pasta recipe, I used a two whole cans of quartered water packed artichoke hearts. I don’t recommend using the oil marinated ones, because while they are delicious, it might be a little much.

Short cut pasta: I used penne, but any short cut pasta such as cavatapi, rotini, orecchiette or macaroni will work. I wouldn’t use a long pasta shape like spaghetti because it won’t adhere to the sauce.

Lemon: I’m writing specifically about the addition of lemon juice at the end because it’s so important! The second time I made this I forgot the lemon juice and couldn’t figure out what was missing. It turns out that last hit of acid at the end can make a huge difference for flavor.

Vegan spinach artichoke pasta recipe

How to Make Vegan Spinach Artichoke Pasta

  • Start by sautéing the shallots and garlic in oil. This is really the only source of fat for the entire dish, so you’ll need a good amount to make the sauce rich and flavorful. After the shallots are softened, add all the sauce ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. That’s it!
  • I like to fry the shallots in the same skillet that I sautéed the shallots in. While the sauce is still in the blender, add an inch or two of oil to the skillet and heat over a medium flame. Wait a few minutes for the oil to heat up. You’ll know it’s ready when the shallots sizzle when they touch the oil. You can test this by throwing one slice in at a time until you hear that sound. The key to evenly fried shallots is not moving them around. Just let them sizzle undisturbed for about 10 minutes to turn golden brown before transferring them to a paper towel where they’ll crisp up as they cool. Let the oil cool before discarding it and wiping out the skillet.
  • While the shallots fry, cook the pasta al dente in heavily salted water. SAVE YOUR PASTA WATER. I’ve thrown out precious pasta water so many times… That starchy, salty water is going to give the sauce a really nice flavor and creamy texture.
  • Now, add the pasta, sauce, spinach and artichokes back to the skillet over medium low heat. Let the spinach wilt for a few minutes and add in your pasta water to thin the sauce. You don’t want to cook it too long or the pasta will get mushy. About 5-10 minutes will do the trick. And that’s it! Top with crispy shallots, a squeeze of lemon juice and serve fresh. Enjoy!
Vegan spinach artichoke pasta

Substitutions and Tips For Success

  • For an extra creamy sauce, make sure you blend it thoroughly. This may go without saying, but it usually takes longer than I expect. You’ll probably need to scrape down the sides as you go and blend for a total 2 minutes.
  • To add some more protein to this vegan spinach artichoke pasta, you can add a can of chickpeas or white beans at the end. This would also be great with some grilled chicken if you’re not vegan.
  • When frying the shallots, try the move them around as little as possible. Keep the heat on medium and try to avoid letting the oil spatter, this probably means it’s too hot and could start smoking. Keep a close eye on them, they’ll brown quickly!
  • This pasta also tastes great the next day. Just store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and they’ll keep for 4-5 days. Reheat in a covered pot over low heat until warmed through.
Vegan spinach artichoke pasta recipe

Other Vegan Pasta Recipes To Try

Made this recipe? Tag @wandering_chickpea on Instagram!

Yield: 6 servings

Vegan Spinach Artichoke Pasta with Crispy Fried Shallots

vegan spinach artichoke pasta with crispy fried shallots

Creamy vegan spinach artichoke pasta made with a tofu based creamy sauce and topped with crispy pan fried shallots. Packed with veggies and plant based protein, this healthier creamy pasta recipe is free of dairy and nuts.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 16 oz silken tofu
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large shallot, sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 2 tbsp miso
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 8 oz baby spinach
  • 2 15 oz cans artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
  • 12 oz short cut pasta
  • Fresh lemon juice for serving

For the crispy shallots

  • 3 large shallots, thinly sliced
  • Oil for frying
  • Salt

Instructions

  1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add shallot and garlic, cook until soft and just begining to carmelize. About 5 minutes.
  2. Add the shallots/garlic to the bowl of a high speed blender or food processor along with the silken tofu, miso, soy sauce and nutritional yeast. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
  3. Cook your pasta al dente in heavily salted water according to the package directions. Save your pasta water.
  4. Return the sauce to the skillet over medium low heat. Add the spinach, a handful at a time until it wilts. Stir in artichoke hearts and cooked pasta. If the sauce seems too thick, add 1/4-1/2 cup of reserved pasta water. Serve immediantly with fresh lemon juice and crispy fried shallots.

For the crispy shallots:

  1. Add about a 1/4 inch of oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Place the shallots in the hot oil in an even layer. Reduce the heat to medium low and fry until golden brown, about 10 minutes. They burn easily, so wathc them closely!
  2. Once golden brown, remove the shallots from the oil and place on a plate with a few sheets of paper towel. Spread them out so they dont become soggy. Sprinkle with salt and let cool completely before serving.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1/6 recipe

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 337Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 583mgCarbohydrates: 48gFiber: 12gSugar: 6gProtein: 18g

All nutritional info is an estimation

One Comment

  1. Pingback: Kale Pesto Pasta with Lemony Meatballs ~ Wandering Chickpea

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