This easy recipe for blended green pasta sauce gets its vibrant color from spinach and basil and plenty of flavor from pistachios, garlic, lemon, and parmesan. It’s similar to pesto and great for a quick healthy meal or for prepping ahead of time. Plus, kids love this colorful, veggie-loaded dish!
Green is the color of spring…and not just outside! I extend the season’s color palette all the way to my kitchen, as you can see in this new green pasta sauce. I love how pretty it is while being packed with nutrients, including plenty of vitamin C from spinach and healthy fats from pistachios.
This recipe is a great option when you want some vegetables in your life but don’t necessarily want a salad or cooked veggie side. The spinach and basil are blended right into the sauce, so you can enjoy a dose of greens smothered over spaghetti! It reminds me of my similarly vibrant recipe, Vegetarian Pesto Pasta with Peas.
I love how convenient it is to cook pasta in green sauce for a quick, wholesome meal or make the sauce in bulk to serve at a late time. Plus, it even gets a passing grade from toddlers and kids! If you’re looking for a dinnertime win, this recipe is for you.
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Ingredients and Substitutions
- Spinach: I prefer fresh baby spinach. However, you can use frozen spinach that you thaw or cook. Just squeeze out the excess moisture (or cook a little to release water) before blending, and remember that frozen spinach is more dense than fresh, so you’ll probably only need about 2 cups packed. If you don’t have spinach, try using a smaller amount of baby arugula or kale and more basil if you have it. Keep in mind that arugula will contribute a different, slightly spicy flavor though.
- Basil: This contributes a lot of flavor and makes the sauce more interesting than it would be if you were to use only spinach. You can always sub more spinach for basil if you don’t have it, but the flavor is best with basil.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic is delicious in green pasta sauce, but you can swap in dried minced garlic or garlic powder in a pinch.
- Pistachios: I recommend dry roasted and unsalted pistachios, but any kind will do. If you don’t have pistachios, try pine nuts, cashews, walnuts, or even sunflower seeds.
- Shredded parmesan cheese: If you need the recipe to be strictly vegetarian, use a brand labeled as such like Whole Foods 365. To make the recipe vegan, omit the parmesan cheese and add a little extra salt. You can also omit the cheese if you are making this for baby led weaning or babies under 1 and want to reduce the sodium content.
- Extra virgin olive oil: My favorite brand to use in Italian-inspired sauces/pestos like this one is Partanna.
- Pasta of choice: I love using spaghetti, but I encourage you to use whatever your family likes! Sub a legume-based pasta if you need it to be gluten free or want to increase the protein content.
Instructions
The full recipe card for green pasta sauce is at the bottom of the post. Here’s a preview of the steps with photos to guide you.
Cook the spinach in a skillet with olive oil and garlic until wilted.
Combine the cooked spinach with the rest of the ingredients in a food processor or high-powered blender.
Blend until smooth, adding more olive oil as needed. It should resemble pesto.
Toss cooked pasta of choice in the sauce, using reserved pasta water to thin the sauce as desired.
Storage and Reheating
Leftover green pasta sauce is best stored in its own container in the refrigerator for up to 5 to 7 days. If you want to serve the sauce warm, heat it in a saucepan on very low heat to gently warm it before adding to freshly cooked pasta.
To freeze this sauce, transfer to freezer-safe containers, seal, label, and keep in the freezer for up to 6 months. It may be helpful to freeze in individual portions, using Souper cubes or even smaller containers, if you don’t plan to use it all at once in the future. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
Serving
While pasta in green sauce can stand alone as its own dish, you can also serve it as a side or base for a protein. Mix in white beans, chicken, or fish for a balanced meal. Or try it on the side of Lemony Cod en Papillote with Vegetables.
More Veggie Pasta Sauces
If you love this green pasta sauce, check out some of the other great ways to blend veggies into sauce and pesto:
I’d love to hear how you like this recipe! Rate/review using the stars on the recipe card or in the comments, and follow the Veg World on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Looking for something totally different? Browse the recipe library.
📖 Recipe
Green Pasta Sauce
Equipment
- Food processor (or high-powered blender)
Ingredients
- 12 ounces spaghetti - or pasta of choice
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil - divided
- 4 heaping cups baby spinach - loosely packed; about a 6-ounce bag
- 2 cloves garlic - minced
- 1 cup fresh basil - packed
- ½ cup pistachios - dry roasted, unsalted
- ¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese - use one labeled vegetarian if needed; plus more for serving
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice - from about ½ lemon, more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once boiling, add the spaghetti and cook until al dente according to package instructions. **Reserve at least 1 cup of pasta water before draining.**
- Warm 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the spinach and garlic and cook, stirring often, until the spinach is wilted and the garlic is fragrant (but not burnt). This usually takes about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Put the cooked spinach and garlic in a food processor fitted with the S-blade or a high-powered blender. Add the basil, pistachios, parmesan, lemon juice, salt, and the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Blend until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides to promote even blending as needed. You may also need to drizzle more olive oil into the processor/blender to promote blending. It should resemble pesto.
- Transfer the sauce to the pot where you cooked the pasta. Add the cooked pasta and toss with tongs until coated, pouring in splashes of the reserved pasta water as needed to thin the sauce.
- Serve topped with more parmesan cheese and a squeeze of lemon juice if desired. Enjoy!
- Leave a rating or review by tapping the stars on this recipe card (above) or in the comments section (at the end of the post)!
Notes
- This sauce freezes very well. Transfer to freezer-safe containers, seal tightly, label, and store in the freezer for up to 6 months. Consider freezing in small containers or individual portions if you don’t plan to use it all at once. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
- Leftover sauce will also last in the fridge for up to 5 to 7 days. It’s best to keep leftover sauce separately from pasta and just make a fresh batch of pasta to use with it later. But if you already tossed the sauce with pasta, you can store that in the fridge instead and reheat in the microwave for a minute or 2 until warmed through or enjoy cold.
- Use a legume-based pasta if you want the dish to be gluten free and/or to have more protein. You can also add white beans, chicken, or fish.
- If making for baby led weaning or kids under 1, consider omitting the parmesan cheese and salt to reduce the sodium content. Remember that this recipe also contains common allergens (nuts).
Alison
Just made it! Licking the scraper I use for the blender.
Pretty yummy. ❤️
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
Yay – so happy to hear it!
Alison
Yum! This is what we’re having for dinner tonight!
It looks fast, ridiculously delicious and easy!
easy!
Thanks for your generosity in sharing.
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
Hi Alison, I’m so glad this recipe caught your eye and that you will be making it tonight! I hope you enjoy! Thanks for your comment.
Jan
Hi Lizzie,
Although baby spinach may possibly be lower in oxalates than regular spinach, I still try to avoid it because of a tendency for kidney stones. Would I be able to sub with baby kale in this recipe? Also, could I sub the shredded parmesan with vegan shredded parmesan? I would like to make this if it’s possible to use these adjustments. Thanks!
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
Hi Jan, I think baby kale would work well! It just may have an earthier flavor, but you could use a little less kale and little more basil to try to balance it out. And vegan shredded parmesan works great as a substitute. I hope you enjoy the recipe!