Italian Fusilli with Spinach, Artichokes, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Capers, Garlic, and Pine Nuts! This meatless, vegetarian pasta dish has only 8 ingredients and takes 30 minutes to make!
This fusilli pasta recipe was inspired by Italian ravioli I made some time ago. It features the same ingredients: spinach, artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, and capers. So refreshing and Mediterranean! I loved cooking with fusilli. This spiral pasta is so pretty when combined with veggies! It's a perfect recipe if you want to make a delicious, meatless, vegetarian dinner. If you crave some protein, you can easily turn this fusilli into something more substantial. Just make easy seared chicken or this Mediterranean chicken. If you like seafood, add pesto shrimp or seared scallops.
Why you'll love this Italian pasta
- 30-minute recipe. To make this easy recipe, first, saute spinach together with other veggies in the skillet. Then, combine it with cooked and drained fusilli. And, finally, sprinkle toasted pine nuts over the pasta, if you like. That's it! Pretty simple! 30 minutes from start to finish!
- Packed with veggies. This is a healthy fusilli recipe since it has so many veggies. Spinach, artichokes, and sun-dried tomatoes taste amazing when combined together!
- Beautiful presentation. This is one of those recipes that you don't have to work hard to make them look pretty on a plate. With so many colorful vegetables, it's easy to make this dish look beautiful!
What is fusilli?
- Fusilli is a spiral-shaped Italian pasta. It is also described as a corkscrew-shaped pasta. Twists help fusilli to retain sauces better.
- Fusilli is often used for pasta salads and with tomato-based sauces. It also works great with vegetables.
Substitutions
- What is a good substitution for fusilli? Use rotini or farfalle. You can also use penne or rigatoni.
- What is a good substitute for spinach? Swiss chard has dark green leaves and an earthy flavor. It belongs to the same family as spinach, and you can use it to replace spinach in recipes. Arugula also has green leaves but a lighter flavor than spinach or Swiss chard. Arugula wilts just like spinach and is great to use for cooking. Another alternative for spinach is kale.
- What to substitute for capers? Use pitted green olives. Chop them up into smaller pieces.
Fusilli vs rotini
- Both fusilli and rotini are short, corkscrew-shaped pasta. They look similar; however, rotini has a tighter twist than fusilli.
- Both types of pasta are popular in pasta salads, with vegetables, or with tomato-based sauces.
Sauces that go well with fusilli
If you wish to add sauce to fusilli dish, below are some ideas:
- Carbonara sauce is usually made with egg, cured pork (such as pancetta or bacon), and grated cheese. Usually, Parmesan cheese or Pecorino Romano cheese are used.
- Bolognese sauce is a tomato-based sauce with sausage or minced beef. Italian Bolognese pasta will be great with fusilli.
- Creamy pesto sauce works so well with short pasta. You can make this pesto chicken pasta recipe with fusilli.
- Alfredo sauce is a creamy sauce made with Parmesan cheese. It's perfect for short, spiral-shaped pasta. Here is the recipe for chicken broccoli alfredo that you can make with fusilli. You can keep the chicken or omit it if you would like a meatless dish.
What to serve with fusilli
- Garlic bread. Buy garlic bread at the store or make your own. You can also serve olive bread or a baguette.
- Simple salad. Make a basic salad, such arugula or spinach salad mixed with olive oil, black pepper, and shredded Parmesan cheese.
How long do you cook fusilli
- Usually, fusilli is cooked for 10 minutes in a large pot of boiling water. Also, make sure to follow the package instructions, as some kinds of pasta take shorter or longer times to cook.
- To make pasta al dente, cook fusilli in a pot of boiling water for 2 minutes less than what the package instructions say.
How to toast pine nuts
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Spread the pine nuts in one layer over the parchment paper lined baking sheet.
- Roast for 5 minutes.
- Note: pine nuts get burned really quickly. Watch them closely and remove promptly from the oven.
Why toast pine nuts?
Pine nuts have a sweet, almost buttery flavor. When toasted, that flavor gets even stronger. Toasted pine nuts are also crunchy.
How to make fusilli with vegetables
1) To a large skillet, add minced garlic, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, chopped artichokes, and capers with olive oil. Cook for 2 minutes.
2) Add fresh spinach.
3) Cook until the spinach wilts.
4) Add cooked fusilli and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Cook on medium-low heat, stirring, for about 1 minute.
5) When serving, top with toasted pine nuts.
Other delicious pasta recipes to make with fusilli
- Italian Sausage Pasta with Vegetables
- Pesto Chicken Pasta with Mushrooms
- Rigatoni Pasta with Chicken and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Fusilli with Spinach, Artichokes, Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 8 oz fusilli pasta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes chopped
- 1 cup artichoke hearts chopped
- 3 tablespoons capers drained
- 5 oz spinach fresh
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ⅓ cup pine nuts toasted
Instructions
- Cook fusilli until al dente. Drain.
- In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil on medium heat. Add minced garlic, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, chopped artichokes, capers. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Add fresh spinach, and continue cooking and stirring until the spinach wilts.
- To the skillet with sautéed vegetables, add cooked fusilli and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Cook on medium-low heat, stirring, for about 1 minute.
- The dish should be salty enough from capers. If it's not, add more salt (or capers), if needed.
- When serving, top with toasted pine nuts.
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
This was so good and easy. I added ground Italian sausage. I’ve never been a fan of artichokes until I ate this recipe.
Jill, I am so happy this recipe made you a fan of artichokes! :). Love the addition of ground Italian sausage!
Do you use marinated artichoke hearts? Or just plain?
I used artichoke hearts marinated in olive oil.
Thank you SO much for this recipe! I usually have all of these ingredients on hand except for the sun dried tomatoes. I was actually out of capers when I went to make it, so I substituted the chopped green olives and love it. My husband and I are trying to get pregnant, so I am trying to increase my veggie and healthy fat intake. This is perfect for that goal! I’m pretty sure this is going to become a weekly recipe I keep on hand for quick lunches and such. Though it is delicious warm, I love it even more cold.
Thank you SO SO much!
We had this for dinner tonight and loved it! Such a low stress, high flavor meal!
Tried this recipe tonight with a few substitutions.
Delicious!
In the photo there looks to be some other seasoning such as oregano (?) is there something missing from the recipe, and if not, what is it that I am seeing on the pasta and everything else?
Hi Summer! What you see in the photos as a spice is a small amount of Italian seasoning. I didn't include it in the recipe because it didn't really add much flavor since there are so many other flavorful ingredients in the sauce.
This is a delicious and easy pasta one pot meal. I doubled it and the flavors intensified on day 2! What’s not to love?
Thank you, Diane! So happy you enjoyed this recipe! 🙂
Would this taste good cold instead of warm?
It's best to be served warm. But, on second thought, this would also taste good at room temperature (not completely cold).
This was so good and super easy to make!
This pasta was easy and delicious. A great date night meal that is fancy but uncomplicated and you can cook while you talk and drink wine with guests 🙂