Vegan Artichoke Pasta Recipe

This vegan artichoke pasta is a delicious new pasta recipe to try. It can be prepared with pantry-friendly ingredients, and it’s quick to assemble. And, most importantly: It is delicious! The artichoke works perfectly to make a smooth and creamy pasta sauce. Also, the artichoke pairs nicely with pine nuts, lemon, and fresh herbs. The flavor of this vegan artichoke pasta is deliciously balanced. It tastes so Mediterranean.

Ingredients for Vegan Artichoke Pasta 

• Pasta of choice 
• Artichokes
• Garlic
• Olive oil
• Lemon 
• Dried Pimento / peperoncini 
• Salt 
• Fresh thyme 
• Pine nuts 

The ingredient list for this one is short. This delicious vegan artichoke pasta comes together with just nine ingredients. You can use any pasta you like for this dish. I like using long types of pasta like spaghetti, spaghettini, or bucatini. 

For the delicious creamy sauce, artichokes are the star. You can use preserved, jarred artichoke hearts. Additionally, garlic, thyme, and extra-virgin olive oil give flavor to the sauce. Lastly, we will use freshly squeezed lemon juice and pimento to balance the creamy sauce with some tang and to introduce some spice. The ratios with the seasoning can depend a bit on how the artichokes are marinated. For example, I’d recommend giving the sauce a taste before adding too much lemon juice.

How to make Vegan Artichoke Pasta:

Making this pasta is super simple. Firstly, we will need to prepare our ingredients a little bit. Next, we can make the delicious creamy artichoke sauce and prepare the other artichokes for garnishing. Lastly, we cook our pasta to perfection and bring it together into one delicious creamy dish. 

Preparing the Ingredients: 

Remove the artichokes from their jar, drain their oil, and give them a good rinse. Squeeze out their remaining oil and dry them with a paper towel. They will still have remaining oil, which is perfectly ok for this dish. I prefer the taste of a good olive oil, which we will use instead. Slice them in quarters if necessary.

Searing the Artichokes & Toasting the Pine Nuts: 

Next, sear artichokes with half of the olive oil, a pinch of salt, and pepper. I like to have them on pretty high heat so they develop a bit of color. They will develop more flavor like this, giving the sauce a delicious taste. In the meantime, carefully toast the pine nuts in a separate pan. These little guys tend to burn very quickly, so keep a close eye on them.

Making the Creamy Artichoke Sauce: 

Heat a small pot. Peel your garlic cloves by smashing them with your knife and blanch them in the hot water for about three minutes. This will get rid of the bite from the garlic.

Add half of your seared artichokes to your blender with half of the olive oil, blanched garlic, lemon juice, water, half of the thyme, and a pinch of pimento and salt. I’d recommend not adding all the lemon juice and salt right away but working your way up after checking for seasoning. The flavor of the artichokes can be different due to their marinade. Blend until you reach a smooth consistency. Check for seasoning until you have a nicely balanced sauce.

Cooking the Pasta: 

With the sauce ready, the pasta is next. Add your pasta to a pot with generously salted, boiling water and cook according to package instructions. I like to cook the pasta until a minute shy of al dente, reserve some of the salted pasta water, and finish cooking the pasta in the sauce. Pro tip: Add a ladleful of pasta water to the blender you prepared the sauce in. Turn it on for a couple of seconds to clean the blender from the remaining sauce. You will have some additional artichoke-flavored, starchy water in case you need additional liquid.

Bringing the Vegan Artichoke Pasta Together:

With all the ingredients ready, there is nothing else left to do but combine them and plate. Drain the pasta and add it with the artichoke sauce to a deep pan or pot. Finish cooking the pasta until al dente. The pasta will have such a beautiful coating of artichoke sauce, and the sauce will even thicken a bit more. 

For plating, I rolled the spaghetti up into a beautiful little nest using a tong and ladle. After placing it at the center of my plate, I finished it with some additional sauce, roasted artichokes, and toasted pine nuts. Lastly, I garnish the plate with the remaining fresh thyme. The smell is just amazing. Instead of the pine nuts, this vegan parmesan substitute makes a delicious addition as well. 

I hope you enjoyed this delicious vegan artichoke pasta recipe. Let me know what you think in the comments! 

Some more Recipe Inspirations: 

• Wild garlic pasta
• Simple cherry tomato pasta 
• Vegan spaghetti alla nerano
• Spaghetti aglio, olio e peperoncino
• Penne all’arrabbiata
• Spaghetti alla puttanesca
• Pasta al Pomodoro

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