Pasta with artichokes

This easy pasta with artichokes uses canned artichoke hearts and a creamy parmesan sauce. It’s simple, ready in 15 minutes, and luxurious! It’s a delicious weeknight treat that is also perfect when you’ve got company.

Published Dec 2021/updated April 2024

If you’re not new to my recipes, you know that cream isn’t a pantry staple for me. But we’ve made it to the end of the winter, and we all deserve a treat, don’t we?

Well, this pasta with artichokes hits the spot! It requires only a handful of ingredients, is ready in no time, and feels special, too.

Made with convenient canned artichokes, cream (just 3/4 cup), parmesan cheese, and parsley, this pasta is indulgent without being too heavy. I also love how the artichoke hearts and the fresh parsley add bright flavor to balance the richness of the cream. 

Like my popular cream cheese pasta, ricotta pasta, and spinach pasta, this artichoke pasta recipe is easy, delicious, and absolutely perfect to satisfy your creamy pasta craving! : )

List of the ingredients

• Pasta (tagliatelle, penne, fusilli…)
• Canned or frozen artichoke hearts
• Whipping cream or heavy cream
• Parmesan cheese
• Butter
• Flour
• Dry white wine
• Garlic
• Flat-leaf parsley
• Salt & pepper

How to make pasta with artichokes

(Note: this is a quick description with step-by-step photos; the full recipe is at the bottom of the page).

• Chop the fresh parsley and slice the artichokes.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet and cook the garlic until fragrant.
• Stir in the flour until it’s dissolved.

• Add the wine and stir until it’s incorporated into the flour-butter mixture.
• Mix in cream, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper until combined.
• Add the artichokes and stir gently. Turn off the heat, taste, and adjust the seasoning.

• Cook pasta and drain (reserve some cooking water).
• Add the pasta, the chopped parsley, and a touch of the pasta water to the artichoke mixture and toss gently until coated.
• Serve immediately with freshly ground black pepper and grated parmesan.

Artichoke pasta ingredients & substitutions

Pasta: I used stylish-looking tagliatelle to make the dish a bit more special, but feel free to use any long-strand pasta you want here. Also, penne or fusilli are totally fine for this pasta with artichokes.

Canned artichoke hearts: I used 1 can of artichokes in brine, but you can use the same amount of frozen-thawed artichokes. Easy peasy.

Dry white wine: It adds complexity to the sauce. Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris are safe bets for the recipe. If you can’t use white wine, use the same amount of broth or pasta cooking water + 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard (the mustard is an optional ingredient, but if you have it on hand, I recommend it).

Flour: it makes a paste (aka roux) to thicken the sauce. You can skip the flour if you prefer a gluten-free option.

Butter: Use the same amount of olive oil if you don’t have butter.

Cream: I used 3/4 cup whipping cream. Essentially, the recipe works fine with any cream with a fat content between 30-40% (half-and-half is too light, while I find the British double cream too thick with its 48% fat content).

Parmesan cheese: For flavor. I recommend using freshly grated parmesan cheese vs buying the pre-grated cheese that won’t melt smoothly (or taste as good).

Garlic: for pungent notes. Who doesn’t like garlic?

Flat-leaf parsley: (aka Italian parsley) is more aromatic than curly parsley and adds fresh, citrusy notes to the dish.

Salt & pepper: Season to taste. I added 1/4 tsp of salt, but you might want to adjust it to your liking. Serve with freshly cracked black pepper!

Note: reserve and use a splash of starchy pasta cooking water to toss the pasta with artichokes before serving. The starch in the water will thicken the sauce without using more and more cream.

Love artichokes?

Artichokes are one of my favorite vegetables! And although nothing beats the flavor of fresh artichokes, I think that their canned or frozen counterparts can do the tricks in many recipes like in these delicious:

• 15 Amazing artichoke recipes
• Artichoke soup
• Artichoke pizza
• Salad with artichokes and white beans
• Artichoke bruschetta

Here are more quick pasta recipes…

if you look for recipes that require everyday ingredients and easy to make in less than 15 minutes, here are some favorites:

• 13 Super quick pasta recipes
• Spaghetti with garlic & olive oil
• Pasta with olives
• Penne arrabbiata
• Pasta with peas

I hope you make this pasta with artichokes soon, and if you have a question, let me know by leaving a comment. I would love to hear from you! x

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