Spinach Pasta Recipe

Spinach pasta recipe is a healthy green pasta made with fresh spinach, garlic, olive oil which makes it refreshing for summer. This spinach pasta recipe can be made in less than 10 minutes when the sauce is ready pasta is cooked. In this recipe post I have shared spinach pasta and spinach pesto pasta which is similar to my pesto pasta. Learn how to make healthy spinach pasta with step by step pictures and video. 

Spinach Pasta

Super green spaghetti or green pasta or spinach pasta is a delicious main dish which can be made in just under 10 mins or so. This recipe is inspired from Jamie’s cooking show. You need just spinach, garlic, olive oil and pasta to make this dish. I just love Jamie, his recipes and cooking style is not only entertaining but they are fool proof too.

Jump to:

• About Spinach Pasta
• Watch Spinach Pasta Video
• Spinach Pasta Ingredients
• Tips for Vibrant Spinach Sauce 
• How to Make Spinach Pasta (Stepwise Pictures)
• Variations
• Expert tips
• 📖 Recipe Card

If you are looking for light refreshing summer pasta recipes, then this is my go to pasta recipe. All you need is some fresh spinach and garlic and you can make this dish in less than 10 mins. The time it takes to cook the pasta is all it takes for the sauce to be done. I like blanching spinach in the same water I am cooking my pasta. 

About Spinach Pasta

Pasta is a most loved dish all around the world. Some of the most popular pasta recipes that is preferred by majority of the people are tomato spaghetti, white sauce pasta, red sauce pasta and Alfredo. Unlike other dishes pasta doesn’t take lots of time to prepare. Most pasta recipes can be made in less than 30 minutes. 

Spinach pasta is the least preferred pasta recipe among kids because the flavour of green leafy vegetables doesn’t pair well with pasta also kids tends to pick out wilted spinach scattered over the pasta easily. Not any more, this recipe for spinach pasta is a family favorite. It is one of my kids favorite pasta dish too. 

This spinach sauce literally takes few seconds to put together. All you need is spinach, garlic, nuts, Parmesan, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. By the time the pasta is cooked, the sauce is done. 

My version of spinach pasta is so easy to make. Most of the work is done by the blender. All you have to do is bring a large pot of water to a full boil. Add in garlic, nuts (if using) and blanch this for 30 seconds. Remove to a blender. Add a bunch of washed spinach into the same water and blanch for 30 more seconds. Remove the wilted spinach to the same blender and add remaining ingredients and blend till creamy. That’s it sauce is done.

This recipe doesn’t need any major cooking. Because of the blanching, the sauce stays bright green in colour. Also never skip Parmesan cheese and lemon juice which adds a creamy texture to the pasta. 

Similar Recipes,

Garlic Butter Spaghetti

Stir Fry Spaghetti

Keema Macaroni

Spaghetti Aglio Olio

Watch Spinach Pasta Video

Spinach Pasta Ingredients

Spinach - I like to use Palak leaves, you can use any variety of spinach you like. Pick out any tough hard stalks from the spinach, tender stalks can be used whole. Don’t blanch the spinach longer, just 30 seconds is plenty. 

Garlic - you can add as much garlic as you prefer in this recipe. Since we are blanching the garlic it does get slightly mellow in flavour. 

Nuts - I used walnuts in the recipe but I have made the sauce with cashews and almonds too. Adding nuts is optional, if you are allergic to nuts you can skip. 

Parmesan - one of the most important ingredient in bringing the sauce together also adds so much umami flavour to the sauce. 

Extra virgin olive oil - since this is a no cook pasta sauce recipe. Try and use best quality olive oil. 

Salt and pepper - totally to your taste. You can add chilli flakes as well. 

Lemon juice - make sure you add fresh lemon juice which imparts fresh zingy flavour to the sauce. 

Tips for Vibrant Spinach Sauce 

The one question which I am asked more often is How do you keep spinach green after boiling? So here are my tips and tricks on how to retain green colour of spinach after it is cooked.

BLANCHING & SHOCKING 

This is a technique used in restaurants in making palak paneer. First sort out the greens, remove any tough stalks from the palak leaves. Bring lots of water to a full boil. Dip the spinach leaves in the boiling water and cook without covering the pot. Within few seconds you will see the spinach leaves darken and gets bright green in colour. Immediately remove the spinach using a pair of tongs and shock them in ice cold water. After few seconds, remove the leaves and squeeze the extra water. Now you can grind them to a smooth puree. This way the spinach leaves stays bright vibrant green colour.

DON’T COOK COVERED

Spinach turn dark when it is cooked in a covered pan. So always cook in an open pot.

ADDING LEMON JUICE 

When grinding spinach, use a squeeze of lemon juice. Lemon juice helps retain the bright green colour in spinach. 

Two ways of making spinach pasta sauce

With nuts - this method is similar to making pesto sauce. Spinach, garlic and nuts of choice is blanched for few seconds. The blanched spinach, nuts, garlic is blended with Parmesan, olive oil, salt, pepper and lemon juice. This sauce is more creamy and has viscous texture. You can use this sauce as spread tor sandwich, pizza or as dip. 

Without nuts - if you are allergic to nuts, you can make this sauce. All the ingredients are same except nuts are not used in this recipe. 

How to Make Spinach Pasta (Stepwise Pictures)

Blanching Garlic, Nuts & Spinach

1)Bring large pots of water to a full rolling boil. Add salt to the water. We are going to cook pasta, spinach, garlic and nuts in this water.

2)Once the water starts to boil, Add in nuts, garlic into the water. Here I am using walnuts, you can use almonds or cashews too.

3)After 30 seconds, Use a strainer to remove the nuts and garlic from the water. Add the garlic and walnuts into a bowl and set aside.

4)Now add in the cleaned spinach leaves into the water. Use the strainer to gently immerse them into the water. Cook them for just 20 to 30 seconds.

5)Immediately remove them using the strainer. The spinach leaves must be wilted and looking bright green in colour.

Making Spinach Sauce in Blender

6)now we are going to grind the spinach sauce. Take the blanched walnuts and garlic in a blender.

7)Add in the blanched spinach leaves.

8)Add in a good amount of parmesan cheese. Never skip parmesan, because it adds a umami taste to the pasta sauce.

9)Season with salt and black pepper powder.

10)now drizzle in good quality extra virgin olive oil.

11)Add in lemon juice to taste.

12)Grind the sauce to a smooth puree, now the spinach sauce is ready to serve.

Cooking Pasta

13)Now bring the water to a boil again. Add in pasta of your choice. I am using spaghetti. The water colour may look little darker because of the spinach and walnuts.

14)Cook the pasta as per package directions.

15)Before straining the pasta, reserve some of the starchy pasta cooking liquid.

Making Spinach Pasta

16)Add the cooked pasta back into the same pot.

17)Pour the spinach sauce into the cooked pasta.

18)Pour the starchy pasta cooking liquid into the pasta so it emulsifies.

19)Toss to coat the pasta with the spinach sauce. Enjoy.

Variations

Spinach Pasta without Nuts

This version of spinach pasta doesn't uses nuts. if you are allergic to nuts, you can make this sauce. All the ingredients are same except nuts are not used in this recipe. I have made a video for this recipe, make sure to check that.

Ingredients Used

• 350 grams Spaghetti
• 8 cloves Garlic
• 5 cups Spinach chopped
• ¼ cup Parmesan Cheese
• 4 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 tbsp Lemon Juice
• Salt & Pepper to taste

How to Make it

1)Bring water to a boil. Add salt. Add pasta and cook as per package directions.

2)Now the pasta is almost cooked.

3)Just before straining the pasta, Add spinach to the pasta.

4)Add lots of garlic and cook for 30 seconds till the spinach gets bright green in colour.

5)once wilted, use a slotted spoon or tongs to remove the spinach from the water.

6)take the spinach and garlic and add it into the blender.

7)Add in parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, olive oil and lemon juice.

8)Blend till creamy and smooth.

9)Now once pasta is cooked, strain it in a colander, make sure to reserve some of the pasta cooking liquid and take it into a bowl. 

10)Pour the green sauce to the hot pasta and toss well.

11)Add some of the pasta cooking water and toss to coat the pasta. 

12)Serve immediately with a drizzle of olive oil.

Expert tips

• Bring lots of water to boil, since we are going to use the same water for blanching garlic, nuts and spinach. 
• You can use almonds, cashews, walnuts. Pine nuts in this recipe. Peanuts tends to have strong flavour so you can skip it. 
• Add as much garlic as you prefer. Since we are blanching the garlic it does get slightly mellow in flavour. 
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese adds a umami taste to the sauce which is very important. It also adds creamy texture. 
• Make sure you never skip the lemon juice. It adds bright zingy fresh flavour to the sauce. 
• Reserve some of the starchy pasta cooking water for emulsifying the sauce. It is most important step to achieve creamy spinach sauce.
• You can add cooked chicken into the past to make it a substantial meal. 
• You can enjoy spinach pasta with garlic toast. or crumble some ricotta on top.
• Any variety of pasta can be used. You can use whole wheat pasta for more fullness.

Meal prep, Serving & Storing

You can make the sauce in advance and store in fridge. You can boil pasta when needed and toss with the sauce. 

Leftover pasta can be stored in fridge and reheated in microwave or stove top when serving. Spinach pasta can be stored in fridge for up to 2 to 4 days. 

More Pasta Recipes to try

📖 Recipe Card

If you have any questions not covered in this post and if you need help, leave me a comment or mail me @[email protected] and I’ll help as soon as I can.

Follow me on Instagram, Facebook,Pinterest ,Youtube for more Yummy Tummy inspiration.

IF YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE OR ANYTHING FROM YUMMY TUMMY, MAKE SURE TO POST IT AND TAG ME SO I CAN SEE ALL OF YOUR CREATIONS!! #YUMMYTUMMYAARTHI AND @YUMMYTUMMYAARTHI ON INSTAGRAM!

More Spinach Recipes to try