Baked Goat Cheese Spinach Artichoke Pasta

This baked goat cheese spinach artichoke pasta is loaded with delicious flavor and nutritious vegetables. An easy weeknight win, as it’s ready in just about 30 minutes.

I love making easy pasta recipes during the week after a busy work day. Pasta is always a satisfying meal, and totally customizable based on what you’re craving in the moment. As a Registered Dietitian, I want you to know that pasta can ABSOLUTELY be a part of a healthy lifestyle. It’s the perfect vehicle for tons of healthy ingredients such as vegetables, olives, lean protein, and beans.

This baked goat cheese spinach artichoke pasta was admittedly inspired by the viral TikTok baked feta pasta recipe, but I gave it my own delicious and healthy twist. This recipe is reminiscent of the classic spinach and artichoke dip, but filled with good for you ingredients like spinach, artichokes, and leeks. The best part is how easy it is to make, and it comes together in just about 30 minutes.

This healthy pasta recipe is vegetarian, nut free, and easily made gluten free by using gluten free pasta.

Ingredients in baked goat cheese spinach artichoke pasta

Here are all the ingredients you need to make this easy healthy pasta recipe:

• Whole wheat pasta – I used whole wheat pasta because it has more fiber and protein than regular white pasta. You can make this recipe with regular white pasta or bean/lentil based pasta to keep it gluten free.
• Artichoke hearts from a can.
• Fresh spinach – You can use either baby or mature spinach. If you use mature spinach with large leaves, just chop them up a bit.
• Leeks add mild springy onion flavor to the pasta dish. If you can’t find leeks, use white onion instead.
• Garlic to enhance all the other flavors.
• Goat cheese – use a log of goat cheese, not crumbles.
• Parsley for some fresh herb flavor.
• Lemon juice
• Olive oil
• Salt and Pepper

This healthy pasta recipe is easy to make and comes together in just about 30 minutes.

How to make baked goat cheese spinach artichoke pasta

Add sliced leeks, artichoke hearts, garlic, and parsley to a ceramic baking dish. Make sure to clean the leeks first (see this post for how to clean leeks). Toss in olive oil and lemon juice and a generous shake of salt and pepper.

Nestle the goat cheese log in the center of the vegetables, and drizzle with more olive oil. Bake in the oven. During the last 10-15 minutes of baking, prepare the pasta according to package instructions. Reserve a little pasta water.

Take the veggies out of the oven and mix them up with the melty goat cheese right away. Then immediately add the spinach and warm, cooked pasta. Toss everything together well. The heat from the baked veggies and warm pasta will wilt the spinach as you mix it all up.

You can store leftover pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat it in the microwave or eat it cold.

Best pasta shapes to use

For this recipe, I used whole wheat rotini and it came out wonderfully. The combination of baked goat cheese and vegetables makes for thicker, chunkier pasta mix-ins, so I recommend using a short pasta shape to hold up to that. Some other options that would work well are:

• Penne
• Cavatappi
• Rigatoni
• Rocchetti
• Gemelli
• Casarecce

I do not recommend using a long pasta shape like spaghetti for this recipe.

Artichokes nutrition benefits

Artichokes are an incredibly nutrient dense vegetable to include in your diet. They have more dietary fiber than most other vegetables, plant-based protein, and micronutrients. One medium artichoke provides:

• 7 grams of fiber
• 3.5 grams plant-based protein
• 474 mg (13 percent) of your daily potassium needs
• 25 percent of your daily Vitamin C needs

Artichokes contain a type of prebiotic fiber called inulin, which helps maintain a healthy gut microbiome.

Spinach nutrition benefits

Spinach is a healthy and versatile leafy green to add to your diet. One cup of raw spinach has:

• 2.2 grams of fiber
• 3 grams of plant-based protein
• 410 mcg (over 300 percent) of your daily Vitamin K needs
• 24 mg (25 percent) of your daily Vitamin C needs
• 15 percent of your daily iron needs

Nutrition Tip: Spinach is high in soluble fiber, which can help reduce “bad” LDL cholesterol levels. To reap the cholesterol-lowering benefits of soluble fiber, aim to eat 5-10 grams of it each day.

Leeks nutrition benefits

Leeks are part of the allium family, which also includes onions, garlic, and shallots. Their flavor is similar to onions but much milder and slightly sweet. One cup of leeks contains:

• 1.5 grams of fiber
• 1.3 grams of plant-based protein
• A good source of iron and Vitamin C
• An excellent source of Vitamin A

Leeks are also rich in polyphenol antioxidants and sulfur compounds. Antioxidants help fight inflammation, protect against disease, and keep our cells healthy.

More healthy vegetarian pasta recipes to try

• Pasta alla Norma with Basil and Fresh Mozzarella
• Kale Pesto Pasta
• Cauliflower and Kale Pasta with Lemon Garlic White Wine Sauce
• Ratatouille Pasta
• Roasted Pepper and Tomato Pasta

Let me know if you love this recipe by leaving a comment or star rating below, and check out Instagram and Pinterest for more healthy lifestyle inspiration. Thanks for stopping by!

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