This creamy Green Pasta Sauce is comfort in a bowl and so quick & easy to make! The best part is that it's made with nutrient-rich ingredients like green spinach, fresh basil, parmesan cheese, and green peas which are rich in plant protein - a delicious way to get in your greens!
As a dietitian, I enjoy finding creative ways to get in my greens. This recipe came about when I had an abundance of fresh basil from the Farmers' Market, and it gives off pesto vibes that work great for spring and summer!
Serve this green sauce in warm or cold pasta dishes with turkey meatballs, on pizza, or on top of roasted cauliflower and carrots if you want to keep it low-carb. It's one of my favorite ways to add more vegetables to my diet, and I hope it will become a favorite for you too! 😊
If you're looking for more pasta recipes, try my Cherry Tomato Pasta Sauce, Mushroom & Spinach Orzo Skillet, or a Creamy Orzo Chicken Bake. If you want more green recipes, give my Apple Cucumber Smoothie with Mint and Celery a try!
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Video of How to Make Green Pasta Sauce
Here's a video of how to make Green Pasta Sauce that I hope is helpful! Don't forget to check out the recipe card below for the full recipe.
Ingredient Notes and Substitution Ideas
This pasta sauce is made with simple ingredients. Below are some ingredient notes. Check the printable recipe card at the bottom for ingredient measurements.
- Spinach - spinach serves as the base for this pasta sauce. Lots of spinach gives it a vibrant green color and adds nutrients like antioxidants, iron, and vitamins C and K. Use fresh spinach or frozen spinach! You can substitute with kale if it's what you have on hand.
- Green Peas - peas add flavor, plant protein & fiber. I keep frozen peas in my freezer just for this recipe!
- Basil Leaves- a handful of basil adds sweetness and slightly peppery undertones. It also adds antioxidants. You can substitute with a different fresh herb if you don't like basil. Fresh parsley or oregano would work here.
- Lemon Juice - fresh lemon juice adds brightness and vitamin C.
- Olive Oil - extra virgin olive oil adds a robust flavor and heart-healthy fats that are also important for brain health and hormone health. You can substitute with avocado oil if you prefer a more mild flavor.
- Garlic - fresh garlic adds an Italian flare and provides allicin, a powerful antioxidant.
- Parmesan Cheese - grate your own parmesan for the best flavor. If you are vegan, you can use nutritional yeast instead by cutting the amount in half.
- Unsweetened Almond milk - or your milk of choice. Feel free to use oat milk, coconut milk, soy milk, or whole milk instead. This replaces cream cheese, coconut cream, heavy cream, and other high-fat ingredients found in many creamy pasta sauces.
- Seasonings - smoked paprika & red chili flakes add flavor and a little heat.
- Salt & Black Pepper - to tie the flavors together.
- Pasta of Choice - I use chickpea pasta to add more protein. Use your favorite type of pasta. I suggest using a pasta cut that has a lot of grooves so that you get some sauce in every bite.
- Pasta Water - Be sure to save some of your pasta water to add to the sauce at the end.
How to Make Green Pasta Sauce
Below are the instructions for how to make green spinach pasta sauce with some visuals that I hope are helpful! Check the recipe card at the bottom for the full recipe.
Step 1 - Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Salt the boiling water and then add the dry pasta to the salted water. Cook pasta according to the instructions on the package. If you like al dente noodles, cook it for a couple of minutes less than the instructions call for. When pasta is done cooking, drain and set aside, saving the pasta water.
Step 2 - Heat a large pan or skillet over medium heat and add oil. Once oil is heated, add frozen peas. Once frozen peas are defrosted, add the garlic until fragrant, 30 seconds-1 minute. Add the spinach and saute until the spinach is wilted.
Step 3 - Add the cooked spinach and peas and the rest of the ingredients to a blender or food processor and puree for about 1-2 minutes or until creamy. Add in a tablespoon of pasta water at a time until it reaches you desired consistency, up to a quarter cup of pasta water.
Step 4 - Add the cooked pasta to the skillet that you used for your spinach and peas. Stir in the green sauce and toss until evenly coated. Heat on medium heat until it's warmed to your liking, adding a bit more pasta water if needed to thin it out. Top with crushed red pepper flakes and more parmesan cheese.
Hint: if you like more of a kick, double up on the red pepper flakes!
Dietitian Tip
Frozen green peas for a budget-friendly ingredient to keep on hand! Adding green peas to recipes like this green sauce for pasta doesn't just add depth of flavor, it's also a great way to get a lot of nutrition. Just one cup of green peas contains 8 grams of plant protein, 7 grams of dietary fiber, 354 mg potassium, 96% of your daily value for vitamin C, and 11% of your daily value for iron.
Variations
One of my favorite things about this green pasta sauce recipe is how easy it is to customize! Below are some ideas but feel free to get creative.
- Vegan - turn it into an easy vegan pasta recipe by replacing the parmesan cheese with nutritional yeast. If doing so, use half the amount of nutritional yeast as you would cheese.
- Creamier - if you really love a creamy sauce like Alfredo sauce and want to up-level the creaminess, add cottage cheese or ricotta cheese for extra creamy sauce.
- Gluten-Free- this recipe is gluten-free as long as you use gluten-free pasta.
How to Serve Green Sauce
There are so many ways to use green sauce besides in a green pasta recipe. Below are some ideas.
- With Your Favorite Protein - this green sauce already provides plant protein from the peas and spinach and additional protein from the cheese. But if you want to make it a high-protein meal, top it with chicken breasts, turkey meatballs, sausage, or shrimp. For a vegetarian option, serve it over your favorite creamy beans. Butter beans, chickpeas, or Cannellini beans are all great options.
- With Sourdough - serve this as a side dish with a slice of crunchy sourdough bread.
- Pasta salad - add green pasta sauce to cold pasta salad or orzo salad.
- Festive St Patrick's Day Meal - fresh pasta with spinach sauce is a healthy way to bring some fun to the day for the whole family.
- On Top of Vegetables - if you are trying to eat low-carb, serve this sauce over zucchini noodles, spaghetti squash, or a mix of roasted vegetables like diced tomatoes, squash, broccoli, mushrooms, or carrot.
- Pizza - use this blended sauce on pizza in place of marinara or red sauce. Add melted mozzarella or feta and a drizzle of balsamic on top of the pesto pasta sauce.
Meal Prep & Storage for Green Sauce
- Meal Prep - make this healthy green pasta sauce ahead of time and freeze it in ice cube trays. That way, it's ready for you to heat and eat when you're in a time pinch!
- Refrigerator - Store cooled pasta sauce in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
- Freezer - Store cooled sauce in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
- Reheat - When you are ready to use your leftover green sauce, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight and reheat it over low heat on the stovetop or in the microwave. You may need to add a little water back to get it to the desired consistency.
Expert Tips
- Be sure to save your pasta water to add to the sauce at the end. This helps to thin the sauce to the right consistency and emulsify the oil and cheese.
- If you like pasta sauce on the thicker side, cut the milk in half.
- If you can find a couple of extra minutes, use a block of fresh parmesan cheese and grate it yourself.
FAQ
While healthy means something different to everyone, this green pasta sauce with spinach and green peas is a nourishing option. It contains several ingredients that provide important nutrients so you can keep your body healthy while still eating food that tastes amazing. For example, spinach contains dietary fiber to support gut health, antioxidants for a healthy brain, vitamin K, vitamin C, iron, and potassium. Green peas contain plant-protein and vitamin B6. And olive oil contains Omega-3 fatty acids that can support heart health.
Absolutely! I love buying veggies when they are in season and freezing them so I have them for later. You can also grab a bag of frozen spinach and frozen green peas in the freezer section at the grocery store. Frozen fruits and vegetables retain their nutrition and they provide the same nutritional value as fresh ingredients. They are often less expensive than buying fresh fruits and veggies that aren't in season.
I highly suggest using fresh basil because it will add more flavor and freshness. But if all you have on hand is dried basil, it will still add some flavor. If using dried basil, cut the amount in ⅓ of what you would use for fresh. To tell if the dried basil is good, give it a smell. If it doesn't have the smell of sweet basil, it's time to replace it.
Related
Looking for other dietitian recipes like this? Try these:
Perfect for Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Green Pasta Sauce:
Want to Learn About Nutrition?
Here are some of my educational articles you may enjoy:
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! I would love to hear from you! If you made this recipe, please leave me a review below or tag me in a photo or story on Instagram. Your reviews help support me and make it possible for me to continue to create the recipes you know and love. 🙂 IG: @mallorythedietitian
📖 Recipe
Healthy Green Pasta Sauce Recipe (Quick & Easy)
Equipment
- 1 saucepan
- 1 Skillet
- 1 blender (or food processor)
Ingredients
- 3 cups spinach (90g)
- 1 cup green peas, fresh or frozen (170g)
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced
- 10 leaves fresh basil (or 1 teaspoon dried basil)
- ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese (40g)
- 2 tablespoon olive oil (30 ml)
- 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, about 1 large lemon (30 ml)
- ¼ cup unsweetened plant-milk, I use almond milk (2 oz or 60 ml)
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika (1g)
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (0.5g)
- ½ teaspoon salt, more to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper, more to taste
- 8 oz dry pasta of choice (196g),I use a box of Banza Rotini for this recipe
- 2-4 tablespoon pasta water, be sure to save before draining pasta
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Salt the boiling water and then add the dry pasta to the salted water. Cook pasta according to the instructions on the package. If you like al dente noodles, cook it for a couple of minutes less than the instructions call for. When pasta is done cooking, drain and set aside, saving the pasta water.
- Heat a large pan or skillet over medium heat and add oil. Once oil is heated, add frozen peas. Once frozen peas are defrosted, add the garlic until fragrant, 30 seconds-1 minute. Add the spinach and saute until the spinach is wilted.
- Add the cooked spinach and peas and the rest of the ingredients to a blender or food processor and puree for about 1-2 minutes or until creamy. Add in a tablespoon of pasta water at a time until it reaches you desired consistency, up to a quarter cup of pasta water.
- Add the cooked pasta to the skillet that you used for your spinach and peas. Stir in the green sauce and toss until evenly coated. Heat on medium heat until it's warmed to your liking, adding a bit more pasta water if needed to thin it out. Top with crushed red pepper flakes and more parmesan cheese.
Video
Notes
- Be sure to save your pasta water to add to the sauce at the end. This helps to thin the sauce to the right consistency and emulsify the oil and cheese.
- If you like pasta sauce on the thicker side, cut the milk in half.
- If you can find a couple of extra minutes, use a block of fresh parmesan cheese and grate it yourself.
- Meal Prep - make this healthy green pasta sauce ahead of time and freeze it in ice cube trays. That way, it's ready for you to heat and eat when you're in a time pinch!
- Refrigerator - Store cooled pasta sauce in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
- Freezer - Store cooled sauce in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
- Reheat - When you are ready to use your leftover green sauce, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight and reheat it over low heat on the stovetop or in the microwave. You may need to add a little water back to get it to the desired consistency.
Jennifer
I'm gonna be honest, I was skeptical cause I've never made homemade pasta sauce but this was so easy and soooo unexpectedly delicious! Will def be making again.
Mallory
Hi Jennifer! Thank you for taking time to leave a review, it means so much to me to know that you loved the recipe. I'm SO happy to hear you made pasta sauce for the first time!! 🙂 Please let me know if there are any recipes/recipe ideas you want me to share, I love getting ideas from my readers!