This Green Pasta Sauce is creamy comfort in a bowl and comes together in just 10 minutes! The best part is that it's made with nourishing ingredients like green spinach, green peas which are rich in plant protein, and fresh basil. Parmesan cheese, a touch of garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice add brightness and flavor.
So tasty that it might just be your new favorite way to get in your greens!
This was inspired by my Apple Cucumber Smoothie with Mint and Celery. I love smoothies, but as a dietitian I also love finding creative ways to get in my greens in and I had an abundance of fresh basil from the Farmers' Market. Another favorite is my Green Goddess Dressing with Avocado that uses plenty of fresh herbs, too!
This green pasta sauce gives pesto vibes that are perfect for spring and summer. Serve this green sauce in warm or cold pasta dishes, 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 into my day, and I hope it will become a favorite for you too! 😊 If you're looking for a red pasta sauce, try my more traditional Cherry Tomato Pasta Sauce.
Top your pasta with Gluten-Free Turkey Meatballs to add protein and make it a balanced meal.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Video of How to Make Green Pasta Sauce
- What is in Green Pasta Sauce?
- How to Make Green Pasta Sauce
- Variations and Ideas for Add-Ins
- How to Serve Green Sauce
- Expert Advice
- Equipment
- Meal Prep & Storage for Green Sauce
- Registered Dietitian Tip
- FAQ
- More Nourishing Dietitian Recipes
- Perfect for Pairing
- Looking for Nutrition Education from a Dietitian?
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Why You'll Love This Recipe
EASY - Everything comes together in just a pan and blender or food processor. No chopping required!
QUICK - All you need is 5 minutes, and clean-up is easy too. No need to let it simmer for hours like some pasta sauce recipes. You can easily whip it up after a busy workday for a comforting dinner.
BUDGET-FRIENDLY - Using vegetables that are in season or can be easily found in the frozen section like the green peas in this pasta sauce is a great way to save some money at the grocery store.
NUTRITION - If you're looking to add more greens to your diet, but are tired of green salads and smoothies, green pasta sauce is a great option. It contains plant protein and fiber for a healthy gut. It's also vegetarian and gluten-free.
NO ADDED INGREDIENTS - Jars of store-bought pasta sauce definitely have their place in my pantry. But when I'm looking to cook something fresh in place of spaghetti sauce that tends to have added preservatives, this recipe is perfect.
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.
What is in Green Pasta Sauce?
*This pasta sauce is made with simple ingredients. Below are some ingredient notes. Be sure to check the printable recipe card at the bottom for exact ingredient measurements and full recipe.
- 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! I prefer fresh. You can substitute with kale if it's what you have on hand.
- Green Peas - Peas add extra plant protein, fiber for a healthy gut, and a dual sweet and savory flavor. I keep frozen peas in my freezer just for this recipe!
- Basil Leaves- Fragrant fresh herbs add so much flavor to dishes. A handful of basil gives this green pasta a refreshing sweetness with slight peppery undertones. It also adds antioxidants. You can substitute with a different herb if you don't like basil. Fresh parsley or oregano would work here.
- Lemon Juice - Add brightness and enhance the other flavors with some fresh lemon juice which also adds 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 - a fresh garlic clove for Italian flare and to add allicin, a powerful antioxidant.
- Parmesan Cheese - grate your own parmesan for best flavor. Or use packaged shredded or grated parmesan if that's more accessible. Either way, it makes for creamy green pasta sauce. If you are vegan, you can use nutritional yeast instead by cutting the amount in half.
- Unsweetened Almond milk - or your milk of choice. I use Califia brand of almond milk. Feel free to use oat milk, coconut milk, soy milk, or whole milk instead. This replaces cream cheese, coconut cream, heavy cream or other high-fat ingredients typically found in creamy pasta sauces.
- Smoked Paprika - you can use sweet Paprika instead, but I highly suggest using smoked paprika for this recipe. It adds so much depth to this green sauce.
- Salt & Black Pepper - salt-and-pepper ties all the flavors together.
- Red Chili Flakes (optional) - to kick the spice up a notch. Feel free to leave it out if you don't do spicy!
- Pasta of Choice - I use chickpea pasta to add more protein and I like Banza's Rotini pasta. Use your own favorite type of pasta. Be sure to use a pasta cut that has a lot of grooves so that you get some creamy pasta sauce in every bite.
- Pasta Water - Be sure to save some of your pasta water to add to the sauce at the end. This helps to thin the sauce to the right consistency and emulsify with the oil and cheese.
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! Don't forget to check out 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 dried pasta to 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.
Step 2 - While pasta is cooking, add lemon juice, almond milk, half the olive oil (1 Tbsp), basil leaves, parmesan, red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper to a blender.
Step 3 - Heat a large pan or skillet over medium heat and add the other half of the olive oil (1 Tbsp). Once oil is heated, add frozen peas. When peas are defrosted, add garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Then, add spinach and saute until the spinach is starting to wilt.
Step 4 - Add the cooked spinach and peas to the blender or food processor and puree for about 60 seconds or until creamy.
Step 5 - When pasta is done cooking, add a couple tablespoons of the pasta water to the pasta sauce. Then drain the pasta and add it to the skillet.
Step 6 - Stir the green sauce into your pasta and toss until evenly coated. Top with crushed red pepper flakes and more parmesan (optional).
Hint: If you like your pasta on the thicker side, cut the amount of almond milk in half and add more as desired.
Variations and Ideas for Add-Ins
One of my favorite things about this green pasta sauce recipe is how easy it is to customize to your taste! Below are some ideas but feel free to get creative.
- High-Protein - this green sauce already has some plant protein from the peas and spinach and more 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.
- 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! I love Banza Chickpea Pasta for a GF option.
How to Serve Green Sauce
There are so many ways to use green sauce beside in a green pasta recipe. Below are some ideas:
- Over White Beans - serve it over your favorite creamy beans. Butter beans, chickpeas, or cannillini 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 cauliflower and carrots or diced tomatoes, squash, broccoli, mushrooms, or carrot.
- Spaghetti and Meatballs - add GF turkey meatballs top make this yummy pasta dish a meal.
- 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.
Expert Advice
- If your garlic cloves are large, cut the amount in half.
- Be sure to save some of 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.
- Use block of fresh parmesan cheese and shred it using a cheese grater for the freshest flavor.
Equipment
For best results, use a high-speed blender for green sauce. I have a Ninja Blender and love it.
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.
Registered Dietitian Tip
Adding green peas to recipes like this green sauce for pasta doesn't just add depth of flavor, it also adds plant-protein! Just one cup of green peas contains 8 grams of protein, 7 grams of dietary fiber to support gut health, 354 mg potassium, 96% of your daily value for vitamin C , and 11% of your daily value for iron. Buy frozen green peas for a budget-friendly ingredient to keep on hand. It's an easy way to get more plants in your diet.
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.
More Nourishing Dietitian Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Perfect for Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Green Pasta Sauce:
Looking for Nutrition Education from a Dietitian?
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....I LOVE knowing there’s people out there trying out my recipes! 🙂 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)
- 1 clove 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)
- ¼ teaspoon salt, more to taste (1.5g)
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper, more to taste (0.25g)
- 8 oz dry pasta of choice (196g),I use a box of Banza Rotini for this recipe
- 2 tablespoon pasta water, be sure to save before draining pasta (30 ml)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high-heat. Salt the boiling water and then add the dried pasta to 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.
- While pasta is cooking, add lemon juice, almond milk, half the olive oil (1 Tbsp), basil leaves, parmesan, red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper to a blender.
- Heat a large pan or skillet over medium heat and add the other half of the olive oil (1 Tbsp). Once oil is heated, add frozen peas. When peas are defrosted, add garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Then, add spinach and saute until the spinach is starting to wilt.
- Add the cooked spinach and peas to the blender or food processor and puree for about 60 seconds or until creamy.
- When pasta is done cooking, add a couple tablespoons of the pasta water to the pasta sauce. Then drain the pasta and add it to the skillet.
- Stir the green sauce into your pasta and toss until evenly coated. Top with crushed red pepper flakes and more parmesan (optional).
Video
Notes
- If your garlic cloves are large, cut the amount in half.
- Be sure to save some of 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.
- Use a block of fresh parmesan cheese and shred it using a cheese grater for the freshest flavor.
- 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!