This vegetarian Green Pasta Sauce recipe is fresh and healthy. It's made with spinach, garlic, lemon, Parmesan and like pesto without nuts!
There are lots of tasty pasta sauces on the market and they're a great option when you're looking for convenience but every now and then it's nice to make things from scratch. My new favorite has to be this Green Pasta Sauce.
This recipe is super fresh and flavorful. It's made with spinach, basil, garlic, lemon, and Parmesan cheese. This sauce is similar to pesto but made without nuts.
It can be tossed with any variety of pasta and zucchini or veggie noodles if you want to go the low-carb route.
This dish is vegetarian but you can top it with chicken breasts, shrimp, mushrooms, or all types of sautéed vegetables.
If you've got basil growing in your herb garden this pasta sauce is a great way to use it up!
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What Is Green Pasta Sauce?
In this case, Green Pasta Sauce is a generic term to describe a simple sauce made from spinach and basil. There is no official term for this dish, it's more of a descriptive title.
It can be used much as you would a traditional basil pesto. This version is made without nuts so it's a great choice for those with a nut allergy. The lack of nuts also means it's a bit lighter in texture than a regular pesto.
This sauce is easy to make using a food processor. It's made with only a few ingredients but packs a lot of flavor.
Here's what you'll need to make it.
Ingredients For Pasta with Green Sauce
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 1-2 Shallots
- 6 packed cups Spinach
- ½ packed cup Basil
- ¼ cup Olive Oil (split)
- ½ cup Parmesan Cheese + more for garnish
- Zest & Juice of 2 Lemons
- ¼ tsp. Red Pepper Flakes (optional)
- ¾ tsp. Kosher Salt
- ¼ tsp. Pepper
- ½ cup Vegetable Broth
- 12 oz. package Gluten Free Pasta (or regular pasta if not gluten free)
How To Make Spinach Spaghetti Sauce
The thing I love about this sauce is that it tastes like something you'd get at a nice restaurant or bistro but is SO easy to throw together.
You can also customize it any way you like with your choice of noodles and other toppings.
This pasta sauce is made using a food processor. Half of the ingredients are added to the food processor, blended, and the process is repeated until the sauce is completely combined.
- Start by peeling 2 large cloves of garlic and then cut them in half.
- Peel 1-2 shallots and cut them into chunks.
- Add 3 packed cups of fresh spinach, ¼ packed cup fresh basil leaves, half of the chopped garlic and shallots, 1 ½ Tbsp. olive oil, ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, the zest of 1 lemon, 1 Tbsp. lemon juice, a pinch of red pepper flakes, ¼ tsp. kosher salt and a pinch of pepper to a food processor. Pulse until completely combined.
- Repeat the process with the other half of the ingredients. Pulse until the mixture resembles a thick pesto.
Love pesto? Check out these recipes!
- Arugula Pesto Prosciutto Pizza
- Grilled Chicken Sandwiches with Pesto Mayo
- Italian Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- Gluten Free Pesto Pasta Salad
Can I Sub Any Of The Ingredients In This Green Sauce?
As I mentioned, this pasta sauce can be customized in a number of different ways.
- The spinach may be subbed using fresh greens of choice. Kale, Swiss chard, or arugula are great options if spinach is not your thing. I do recommend using fresh greens in place of frozen as they contain less water.
- You can add more or less basil if you like.
- Other fresh herbs such as parsley, tarragon, oregano, thyme, or mint can be added along with or in place of basil. Keep in mind that some herbs are stronger in flavor than others so you may need to play around with the amounts and create a combination that you prefer.
- Any variety of dry, salty cheese may be used in addition or in place of Parmesan. Romano, Asiago, Pecorino Romano, or Granada Padano are great substitutes.
- Soy Parmesan or any non-dairy Parmesan may be subbed for regular Parmesan if you prefer to keep this recipe vegan.
How To Sauté The Sauce In A Skillet
At this point the mixture is ready to become a 'sauce'. This is easy to do and only takes a few minutes in a skillet on the stove top.
- Prepare 1 12 oz. package of gluten free spaghetti noodles or pasta of choice (can use regular pasta if not gluten free). Cook the pasta just until al dente, drain, and rinse with cold water.
- Once the noodles are ready, heat a skillet to medium on the stove top. Add 1 Tbsp. olive oil.
- After the oil is heated, add the green pasta sauce mixture to the skillet. Sauté for a few minutes, stirring often.
- Add ½ cup vegetable broth to the mixture. This will help to create the 'sauce' that will get tossed with the cooked noodles.
- Cook the pasta sauce on medium for a few minutes, or until warmed through. Feel free to add more vegetable broth if you'd like to thin the sauce out a bit.
- Add the cooked and rinsed noodles to the skillet and toss in the sauce until completely coated. Cook for another minute or two until the noodles are heated through.
Love Italian flavors? Don't miss these recipes!
- Sheet Pan Italian Chicken & Green Beans
- Italian Tuscan Vegetable Soup
- Cauliflower & Tomato Pasta
- Grilled Bruschetta Chicken
- Mushroom Arugula Pizza
- Mushroom Olive Pasta
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- Garden Vegetable Lasagna
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What Type Of Noodles Are Best?
You can use any type of noodles you like with this pasta sauce. I prefer spaghetti or any variety of long noodles but short pasta like penne, fusilli, farfalle, or rotini are great options.
Zucchini or veggie noodles may be used if you want to keep this dish low-carb.
If using gluten free noodles it's best to choose a quality brand that holds up well when tossed with pasta sauce. I have found that not all gluten free pasta is created equal and some brands hold up over others.
My favorite gluten free brands of pasta include Barilla, Jovial, and Tinkyada.I find that these brands provide spaghetti noodles that do not become mushy or fall apart when cooked which can be an issue when using sub-par brands of gluten free pasta.
Other varieties such as lentil or chickpea pasta may be used as well. The taste and texture may differ slightly with this type of pasta but overall they're still great options.
What To Serve With Vegetarian Pasta Sauce
Once the cooked noodles are tossed with sauce this dish is ready to serve. I like to keep things simple and serve it with a generous helping of freshly shaved Parmesan cheese.
You can switch things up by topping the pasta with sliced chicken breasts, garlicky shrimp, sautéed mushrooms, cooked broccoli, or toasted nuts.
Other topping ideas include roasted red peppers, sundried tomatoes, marinated artichokes, olives, capers, and fresh or roasted cherry tomatoes.
I love a salad with pasta dishes like this Marinated Tomato Salad, Pickled Beet Salad, Balsamic Green Bean Salad, or Healthy Pea Mint Salad.
If you're looking for an appetizer that goes with pasta you can't go wrong with Kalamata Olive Tapenade, Roasted Mushroom Tapenade, or Spinach Artichoke Dip.
How Long Does This Sauce Last In The Fridge?
Once the pasta has been tossed with the sauce any leftovers may be stored in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Be sure to allow the pasta to cool down before transferring to the fridge for storage.
You can also prepare the green pasta sauce in the food processor and keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. The sauce can then be heated on the stove top and tossed with noodles as directed in the recipe.
The spinach basil mixture may also be frozen just as you would freeze pesto. Check out these instructions to learn How To Freeze Pesto.
To reheat the frozen sauce simply place it in a skillet along with some vegetable broth. Once it's heated, add some cooked noodles and toss until coated.
If you love homemade sauces check out this recipe for Homemade Spinach Basil Pesto and Homemade Spaghetti Sauce!
Love Homemade Pasta Sauce? Don't Miss These Recipes!
Tuscan Sun Dried Tomato Sauce
Checca Sauce with Spaghetti
Hidden Vegetable Pasta Sauce
Green Pasta Sauce
Equipment
- Food Processor
Ingredients
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1-2 shallots
- 6 packed cups spinach
- ½ packed cup basil
- ¼ cup olive oil split
- zest of 2 lemons
- 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
- ¼ tsp. red pepper flakes optional
- ¾ tsp. kosher salt split (adjust to taste)
- ¼ tsp. pepper split (adjust to taste)
- ½ cup vegetable broth
- 1 12 oz. package gluten free spaghetti noodles or noodles of choice
Instructions
Prepare The Pasta:
- Prepare 1 12 oz. package of gluten free pasta (or pasta of choice if not gluten free) just until al dente. Drain the pasta and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
Prepare The Green Pasta Sauce:
- Peel 2 cloves of garlic and cut the garlic cloves in half.
- Peel 1-2 shallots and cut into chunks (you can use 1 or 2 depending on how large the shallots used and how strong you prefer the flavors).
- Add 3 packed cups of fresh spinach, ¼ packed cup fresh basil leaves, half of the chopped garlic and shallots, 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil, ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, the zest of 1 lemon, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, a pinch of red pepper flakes (optional), ¼ teaspoon kosher salt and a pinch of pepper to a food processor. Pulse until completely combined.
- Repeat the process with the other half of the ingredients. Pulse until the mixture resembles a thick pesto.
Combine Pasta and Sauce:
- Add ½ cup vegetable broth to the mixture. This will help to create the 'sauce' that will get tossed with the cooked noodles. After the oil is heated, add the green pasta sauce mixture to the skillet. Sauté for a few minutes, stirring often.
- Cook the pasta sauce on medium for a few minutes, or until warmed through.
- Add the cooked and rinsed noodles to the skillet and toss in the sauce until completely coated. Cook for another minute or two until the noodles are heated through.
- To Serve: Serve the pasta with shaved Parmesan cheese and minced basil for garnish (optional).
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