Get ready to elevate your weeknight dinner game with this irresistible pasta dish! Our TikTok-inspired Trader Joe’s Spinach and Artichoke Dip Pasta combines the rich flavors of creamy dip, juicy cherry tomatoes, and perfectly cooked pasta. Whether you’re a seasoned home cook or a beginner, this recipe is a breeze to make and will leave your taste buds dancing. Let’s dive into the world of cheesy, garlicky goodness!
For years my wife and I have been buying Trader Joe’s frozen artichoke and spinach dip and serving at parties and family gatherings. We really love the flavors and how easy it is to serve with Trader Joe’s crackers and bread.
For those that might not remember, there was a viral TikTok video going around several years ago about making a super easy feta and tomato sauce simply by putting a block of feta and some cherry tomatoes in the oven and baking them and then tossing them with some pasta. It’s actually an old recipe but with some modern twists it’s not all that bad and so easy to make.
Fast forward a couple of years and people were dumping all kinds of cheese into this recipe. One of the favorites is using a tub of Boursin cheese in place of the feta and all of sudden everyone is coming up with their over variations. One of the more viral ones was with Trader Joe’s Creamy Spinach and Artichoke dip. To me, this is the best variation I have tried.
The Spinach and Artichoke dip has more flavor than just feta and gives the tomatoes a lot more of a kick. I threw on my culinary hat and brainstormed some ways to make this even better. What I came up with was recipe that uses some techniques, like adding a splash of white wine and using Trader Joe’s Aglio Olio spice blend to blast it into the stratosphere! This flavor packed recipe will blow your friends away thinking you slaved over this dish!
We start with the the Creamy Spinach and Artichoke dip and surround it with tomatoes to save time and smelly fingers, we just popped four frozen cubes of crushed garlic into the tomatoes. Splash some wine and some wine, Trader Joe’s Aglio Olio, Olive Oil, and salt/pepper over the whole thing and pop it into an oven. About 20 minutes before it’s done, have a pot of water boiling and cooked your pasta. For this recipe we used Trader Joe’s Organic Trofie Pasta, but any short pasta will do. We really loved this for the shape and the bronze extruded pasta.
Variations
The heart of this recipe is the Trader Joe’s Creamy Spinach and Artichoke dip. The reason this recipe works so well is that the dip is loaded with cheese and garlic. Baking it with cherry tomatoes really combines the roasted sweetness of the tomatoes and the cheesy dip to make a wonderful sauce that you toss your pasta in.
Here are five ways to modify the TikTok Trader Joe’s Spinach and Artichoke Dip Pasta:
- Spicy Kick:
- Add a pinch of red pepper flakes or a dash of hot sauce to the spinach and artichoke dip mixture before baking. This will give your pasta a delightful spicy twist.
- Herb-Infused Oil:
- Instead of plain olive oil, infuse it with fresh herbs like basil, rosemary, or thyme. Heat the oil with the herbs in a small saucepan, then drizzle it over the pasta for extra flavor.
- Roasted Garlic:
- Roast a whole head of garlic by wrapping it in foil and baking it until soft. Squeeze out the roasted cloves and mix them into the spinach and artichoke dip. The sweet, caramelized garlic will elevate the dish.
- Cheese Medley:
- Stir in some shredded cheese varieties like mozzarella, cheddar, or Gruyère to the spinach and artichoke dip. The melted cheese will create a gooey, cheesy pasta sauce.
- Fresh Greens:
- Toss in some fresh baby spinach or arugula when combining the cooked pasta with the dip. The greens will add a vibrant color and a burst of freshness to the dish.
Feel free to get creative and experiment with these modifications to tailor the recipe to your taste!
After removing the dip and tomatoes from the oven, just mash it with whatever you have, a big spoon, potato masher, large fork or whatever you have on hand.
Then put all the drained pasta into a big bowl and dump the dip mixture into the post and toss it around to cover all the pasta and voila! Dinner is ready! Very simple and easy and very hands off and your friends and family will be impressed!
Trader Joe’s Spinach and Artichoke Dip Pasta
Equipment
- 1 9×9 Ovenproof Baking Dish
Ingredients
- 1 box Trader Joe's Creamy Spinach and Artichoke Dip
- 2 cups Trader Joe's Sugar Plum Grape Tomatoes or any cherry tomato you want
- 4 cubes Trader Joe's Frozen Garlic or four minced garlic cloves
- 3 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tsp Trader Joe's Aglio Olio spice blend or any other Italian spice blend
- ¼ cup White Wine
- ¼ tsp Hot Pepper Flakes Optional
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 lb Short Pasta Penne, Fusilli, Ziti
- Grated Parmesan
- 1/4 cup Chopped Fresh Basil for Garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F
- Add the spinach dip to the center of the baking dish and toss in the tomatoes, wine, garlic, Aglio Olio, salt, pepper and drizzle the olive oil all over the tomatoes. (add hot pepper flakes if using)
- While waiting for the beautiful sauce to cook, prepare your pasta according to the package. Drain and wait.
- Remove the baking dish from the oven and mash down all the tomatoes and dip together until it forms a creamy texture. I used a potato mash
- Drain and dump pasta into a large bowl. Add the dip and tomato mixture and stir until past is covered
- Scoop into individual bowls and top with parmesan and basil. Serve with parm!
Cost to Make
This dish is quite cheap to make. The major expense is the Trader Joe’s Spinach and Artichoke dip which is about $3.49. Next is the pasta for $1.99 but the one I used is more, so a standard penne or or macaroni is about $1.29 for a pound. Then the tomatoes and I think I used about $1 worth of tomatoes here. If you get a cheap bottle of white wine, the 1/4 cup is only going to cost you pennies. Then all the misc stuff you throw on it might come to another $0.50 or so. You can have this dish on the table for around $8!
