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+ servings
Pasta tossed in green pasta sauce on fork.
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5 from 1 vote

Healthy Green Pasta Sauce

This Healthy Green Pasta Sauce recipe is perfect for spaghetti. It's made with spinach, garlic, lemon, Parmesan and like pesto without nuts!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian
Keyword: spinach pasta sauce, green spaghetti sauce, vegetarian pasta sauce
Servings: 6
Calories: 121kcal

Equipment

  • Food Processor

Ingredients

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:

  • Heat a skillet to medium on the stove top. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil.
  • 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).

Notes

Feel free to enjoy this pasta with toppings of choice.
Regular pasta may be used in place of gluten free pasta.
See notes above for ingredient substitutions.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 121kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 456mg | Potassium: 43mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 268IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 105mg | Iron: 0.3mg