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Oh. Yes. I. Did! Uh, huh! I sure did. My absolute favorite dip, second only to salsa has been transformed into the BEST Instant Pot pasta dish EEVVEERRRRR! Instant Pot Spinach Artichoke-Dip Pasta!
With bacon!
Okay, now that you have beholden the god of all Instant Pot pasta; I have a few things to say about the recipe before I get into how to make it.
First, If you don’t like spinach artichoke dip but you like spinach dip you can omit the artichokes! Delicious either way but I happen to looooove that briny tang from the artichoke hearts.
What The Heck is an Artichoke?
I digress.
Quite literally I just found out myself. Pretty amazing the things we eat. I’d like to know who decided to give it the first try.
An Artichoke is the flower bud of a certain type of thistle plant.
Crazy right?!
Boy am I glad they did because I love them!
The Second Thing I’d Like to Say
about the recipe is, if you aren’t a fan of sharp-tasting cheese like Monterey Jack use Mozzarella instead. Mozzarella is very mild but has plenty of flavor to lend to this dish.
It’s a fantastic recipe as is but can be modified to anyone’s taste without compromising its original intent.
Pasta Cooked in The Instant Pot…Say What?!
The third thing I want to say is, don’t be afraid of pasta cooked in the Instant Pot! If you’re afraid, you’re overthinking it. I am a firm believer in al dente pasta. No mushy falling apart pasta in my house! Gag!
I had my own reservations about pressure cooked pasta, believe me. When I was first creating and testing this recipe my first test was an epic fail. Half of the pasta was overcooked while the other half was hard, almost crunchy! I realized I might need a bit of guidance so it was Pinterest to the rescue.
I found two different pasta recipes from The Salty Marshmallow food blog, that turned out PERFECT! Spaghetti and Macaroni and Cheese are big faves around here and if the pasta ain’t right, nobody is happy.
The Salty Marshmallow recipes were modified to my taste. However, the basics of each of these recipes helped me learn how to use my Instant Pot and create my own mouthwatering recipes. It also helped me learn to convert my stovetop recipes to Instant Pot recipes.
Instant Pot Newbies
There is a bit of a learning curve to cooking with an instant pot. But it really is easy and fast. Especially once you get the hang of it. I recommend starting with something simple to get your feet wet like hard-boiled eggs.
The Kahlua Pork in the recipe booklet included with your instant pot is very good. Although I did add more liquid smoke because I really like that smokey flavor. The Facebook group Instant Pot Community is also a great resource for learning how to use your IP. Also, it’s loaded with great recipes!
If you don’t have an Instant Pot yet and you want one, you can get one here!
This is the pot I have! In fact, I have this one AND the three quart. I love them both! But, if I had to do it all over again I would get this one instead!!
Why?
Just a few reasons…
- THE LID – The lid on the Ultra model has a really nice handle. Sometimes the handle on the Lux can be a bit awkward. Also, the Ultra has a built-in place to hold the lid, allowing all the condensation that builds to go back into the pot. Whereas with the Lux I have to find a place to put it after the food is cooked and it usually makes a mess.
- IT HAS A YOGURT BUTTON – So yes, there are recipes out there that you can use to make yogurt without the coveted yogurt button. However, I really like things EASY and FAST which by the way is the whole purpose of the Instant Pot. Pour, stir, hit the button, and cool in the fridge. Homemade yogurt. Done! So…I want the button.
- IT ALSO HAS THE EGG BUTTON – Yes, I want the egg button too! Put the water in, put the basket of eggs in, hit the button, quick release. Done! That’s how I roll. Quick and dirty. I don’t want to have to think. I think enough. It’s not difficult to do eggs in the instant pot without an egg button, not in the slightest. But ANYTHING to make my busy life easier is a Godsend! ♥
I have the Lux model and my dad has the Duo. His has the yogurt button, mine doesn’t. Mine has the egg button, his does not. Weird! With so many models to choose from I hope I have helped you narrow it down a bit.
Just in case you were wondering, this is the steamer basket I use to make hard-boiled eggs in my Instant Pot. I love this thing! It will cook 20 eggs at one time! Also, it works great for broccoli and other steamed veggies. 🙂
Instant Pot Vets
If you’re an Instant pot pro and still struggling with pasta coming out right, try this recipe!! I promise you will not be disappointed!
On a side note, if you haven’t tried ribs in your Instant Pot, try my Guinness BBQ Baby Back Ribs recipe! Finger-Lickin’ good!
Now that I’ve said what needed to be said, let’s get with it.
Gather up all your ingredients. Prep is key and it makes things go faster as well as makes the whole process easier. Now let’s get busy making this Instant Pot Spinach Artichoke-Dip Pasta!! What do ya say?
First,
cook 1/2 lb bacon and chop. Shred your cheese and set both aside.
Combine mayo, parmesan cheese, and softened cream cheese. Set aside. Pour Cellentani Rigate (the one with ridges) in the instant pot. No steamer basket or trivet! I love Barilla brand pasta ♥.
Pour water over the pasta. Add frozen spinach on top of the pasta. Next add salt, pepper, garlic powder, butter, and red pepper flake.
Put the instant pot lid on in the locked position. Make sure the pressure nozzle is turned to SEALING! If you don’t make sure of this the pot will not come to pressure and the noodles will burn.
Cook at high pressure for 5 minutes. On some Instant Pot models, the “manual” button is what you use for pressure cooking. Other models have a “pressure cook” button.
Time is up!
When the 5 minutes is up the Instant Pot will beep. Hit cancel. Now you’ll do a quick release of the pressure by turning the pressure nozzle to venting. When the pressure is fully released remove lid and give the pasta spinach mixture a stir.
You will see some juice at the bottom of the pot. THIS IS NORMAL for this particular dish!! That juice helps everything come together.
Lastly, put the artichoke hearts, bacon, mayo mixture, and shredded cheese in the pot. Stir to combine.
FYI, the mixture will seem a bit thin sort of watery. This is completely normal and as it cools it will thicken. I promise! To speed up this process remove the inner pot and set it on a trivet. It only takes minutes to cool enough to eat. And by that time you’ll have a thick creamy sauce!
Printable Recipe: Instant Pot Spinach Artichoke Dip Pasta
Instant Pot Spinach Artichoke Dip Pasta
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb bacon cooked and chopped
- 1 16 oz box cellentani rigate pasta You could use penne pasta as well. The pasta with ridges helps the sauce stick to the pasta!
- 1 16 oz package frozen chopped spinach
- 4 cups water
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 pinch red pepper flake
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese Use mozzarella if you prefer a mild-tasting cheese.
- 1 8 oz package cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 13.75 oz can artichoke hearts, drained
Instructions
- Cook bacon. Chop and set aside.
- Combine softened cream cheese, mayo, and parmesan cheese. Set aside.
- Shred Monterey jack cheese and set aside.
- Pour pasta into Instant Pot. Add the frozen spinach right on top of the pasta. Next add water, butter, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and red pepper flake.
- Cook pasta on high pressure for 5 minutes. When time is up, do a quick release of the pressure. When pressure is released stir pasta and spinach mixture.
- Add cream cheese mixture, bacon, drained artichoke hearts, and Monterey jack cheese. Stir until combined. Cool 5-10 minutes.
- Enjoy!
Notes
I’d love to know what you think about this Instant Pot Spinach Artichoke-Dip Pasta recipe!
Have a wonderful day!
Leigh Ann 🙂
Leigh Ann
Leigh Ann Schooley is the owner and founder of Making My Abode, a blog dedicated to helping homemakers live well and simply on one income. She is a believer, wife, and mother of three with more than sixteen years of homemaking experience. Leigh Ann is the recipient of the Wife of The Year award eighteen years running. She has also won the Mother of The Year award every year for the past sixteen years. She is a Colorado native raised by her dad who taught her almost everything she knows. Leigh Ann lives with her husband and family in Colorado.
This tastes great but please update the recipe step by instructions – looks like you forgot to say when to add the spinach. Is that supposed to be part of step 4?
Thanks so much for pointing that out! The frozen spinach goes in right on top of the pasta. I have updated the recipe 🙂 Thanks again!