This healthy Pasta with Spinach Sauce is a super easy weeknight meal that will get your kids eating spinach! It is easy to make and tasty, so add this one to your recipe list!
This Pasta with Spinach Sauce is a quick and easy meatless dinner! The creamy spinach sauce is bursting with flavor, and the addition of sweet peas and cherry tomatoes adds extra flavor, color, and a nutrient boost.
Whether you are vegan, vegetarian, or just looking for a tasty and filling Meatless Monday meal, you won’t be disappointed. I make it almost weekly and my toddler can’t get enough of it.
Main Ingredients
Pasta. Any kind of pasta can be used in this recipe.
Veggies. I use sweet peas and cherry tomatoes. Asparagus, zucchini, mushrooms, bell peppers, broccoli, carrots, and Brussel sprouts could be used instead.
Sauce ingredients. Fresh baby spinach, garlic, olive oil, nutritional yeast, coconut milk, salt, and pepper.
How to Make Pasta with Spinach Sauce
1. In the food processor (or a blender), combine the baby spinach, garlic, olive oil, coconut milk, nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper and blend until smooth.
2. Bring a large pot of water up to the boil. Add some salt and pasta. Cook according to the package instructions. Steam peas* or other vegetables you wish to use.
3. Pour the spinach sauce into a large skillet and cook over medium-low heat for about 4-5 minutes. Add the drained pasta and stir everything well. Use some reserved pasta water or coconut milk to thin the sauce, if needed. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
4. Stir in the sweet peas. Serve immediately, garnished with cherry tomatoes.
* PRO TIP: When boiling pasta, place a metal strainer or colander on top and cook the peas in the same water.
Recipe Variations
You can use kale instead of spinach in this recipe. In this case, I would suggest you increase the cooking time in Step 3 to 7-10 minutes, adding hot water from the pasta to thin the sauce as necessary.
Add basil to the sauce. If you have fresh basil to hand, add 3-5 leaves to the sauce. It adds a great flavor!
Add soaked cashews or pine nuts to the spinach sauce. These nuts complement the sauce and add extra creaminess and crunch. You’ll need about ¼ cup of nuts.
How to Store and Reheat
Store refrigerated, in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop, adding a little bit of water to prevent sticking and to help revive the pasta.
More Delicious Pasta Recipes:
- Angel Hair Pasta
- One-Pot Pasta with Spinach
- Easy Broccoli Pasta
- Tomato Feta Pasta
- Pasta with Tomato Sauce
Video Tutorial
Pasta with Spinach Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 lb. fusilli pasta or other kind
- 1 cup peas fresh or frozen
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
For the Sauce
- 3 oz. baby spinach
- 3 garlic cloves
- 3 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- ¼ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. pepper
Instructions
- In the food processor (or a blender), combine the baby spinach, garlic, olive oil, coconut milk, nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper and blend until smooth.
- Bring a large pot of water up to the boil. Add some salt and pasta. Cook according to the package instructions. Steam peas* or other vegetables you wish to use.
- Pour the spinach sauce into a large skillet and cook over medium-low heat for about 4-5 minutes. Add the drained pasta and stir everything well. Use some reserved pasta water or coconut milk to thin the sauce, if needed. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
- Stir in the sweet peas. Serve immediately, garnished with cherry tomatoes.
I love spinach! I bet this is so yummy!
Thanks, Sadonna! It is.
Hi dear why you use nutritional yeast
Hi Simsim! It adds cheesy flavor. You can skip it if you'd like. Happy cooking!
Made a couple of adjustments for taste and my kids loved it !!!!
Thank you! I am glad you enjoyed it!
This looks amazing, and a great way to get in your veggies too! Can I ask, are the calorie counts per serving or for the whole recipe?
Thanks!
Hi Laura! Thanks! It's per serving (1 serving = 1/4 of the whole pot)