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This 30-minute recipe is the perfect easy dinner that’s packed with ve (veggies tastes like pesto!). We’re using a neat trick to maintain the vitamins and flavor that otherwise leach out of vegetables when cooked. Nutritious and delicious!

Green spiral pasta with a spoon.
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Pasta sauce is something that can be customized in such fun and creative ways! If you’ve tried my hidden veggie pasta sauce or this cottage cheese pasta sauce, then you know marinara sauce is just a starting point.

That’s where this green goddess pasta shines – it turns loads of fresh produce into a creamy and flavorful pasta sauce.

The trick is to boil your pasta in the same water that the vegetables are cooked in. This helps restore some of the water-soluble vitamins that leach out of leafy greens when cooked!

Reader rating

★★★★★

“We told our 5 year old that this was Hulk pasta and it was such a hit, he’d take a bite and check his biceps for growth. Aside from the adorable side effects, this pasta was a huge hit with the whole family, including my meatasaurus teen!” —Marcela

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Green spiral pasta in a bowl with a spoon.

Key Ingredients

Jump to the recipe card for measurements!

  • Pasta: I tend to like smaller pasta varieties here, like bow tie or rotini.
  • Leafy Greens: Spinach and kale are virtually undetectable once blended.
  • White Beans: Great texture and add some protein! You can use navy, cannellini, great northern, or butter beans.
Ingredients for green goddess pasta on an orange tile surface: white beans, kale and spinach, parmesan, lemon zest, lemon juice, basil, and garlic.
Spinach and kale cook down A LOT so even though this looks like a ton of leafy greens, it will end up being much, much less after boiling.

save the pasta water!

I have a bad habit of dumping pasta out into a colander and then realizing after the fact that I need the pasta water. So, to avoid this, I started placing my colander in a bowl in the sink right away. This way I capture the pasta water without much extra thinking.

Blended green sauce.
Green spiral pasta with a spoon.

Make it a pasta salad

You can modify the recipe slightly to be a green goddess pasta salad! Here’s what you do:

  1. After the mixed pasta and sauce are cooled, see how your texture looks.
  2. Then, slowly add some pasta water (cold) to the pasta and a splash of fresh lemon juice. Mix it up and continue adding a splash of water until you get that silky texture again.
  3. Serve cold! It won’t be totally creamy, but it should be pretty smooth even when cold.
Green spiral pasta in a bowl with a spoon.

P.S. For another pasta that sneaks in some veggies, try my Italian penicillin pastina next!

Green spiral pasta in a bowl with a spoon.
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Nutrient-Packed Green Goddess Pasta

4.87 from 22 ratings
By: Sarah Bond
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
This 30-minute veggie-packed dinner tastes like pesto and keeps nutrients intact with a clever cooking trick. A quick, easy meal that’s both nutritious and delicious!

Ingredients 

  • 1 bunch fresh kale, ribs removed
  • 1 10-oz bag fresh spinach
  • 1 14-oz can white beans, drained, like navy, cannellini, great northern, or butter beans
  • 1 cup grated parmesan
  • 1 cup loosely packed basil leaves
  • 2 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • ¼ tsp salt, may need more
  • 1 lb pasta of choice
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Instructions 

  • Cook Greens: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 bunch fresh kale and cook for 5 minutes. Add 1 10-oz bag fresh spinach to the pot and continue cooking for 2 more minutes, until greens are all wilted down and bright green. Remove greens from the pot (keep the water in the pot).
    Blanching leafy greens.
  • Pasta: Bring that same water back to a boil then add 1 lb pasta of choice. Cook according to package instructions. When finished, strain pasta and reserve a few cups of the pasta water.
    Cooked pasta in a strainer.
  • Blend: Add cooked greens, 1 cup of pasta water, and all remaining ingredients to a blender. Blend with the lid slightly ajar for 2 to 3 minutes, until smooth. You can add another ladle of pasta water to reach your desired consistency. Taste and add more salt if needed.
    Ingredients for a green goddess sauce in a blender.
  • Serve: Stir sauce into cooked pasta and serve immediately, topped with grated parmesan.
    Green spiral pasta in a bowl with a fork.

Notes

Don’t overcook the pasta! This is especially true if you’re using gluten free pasta because it can become gummy and mushy really fast.
There’s no need to rinse the pasta. The extra starch will also help the sauce cling to the noodles.
Storage: This recipe is best enjoyed right away. The sauce tends to thicken as it cools. If you have leftovers, they will keep in an airtight container for up to four days. When you want them again, add a bit of water or cream and slowly reheat while stirring on the stovetop.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving pasta sauce (1/4 of the recipe, not including pasta) | Calories: 143kcal | Carbohydrates: 18.8g | Protein: 12.1g | Fat: 3.5g | Saturated Fat: 2.1g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 381mg | Potassium: 912mg | Fiber: 6.4g | Sugar: 0.9g | Calcium: 367mg | Iron: 4mg

Nutrition information calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist.

did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!

Hungry to add more veggies to your pasta? Try this pumpkin pasta casserole or my roasted beet and feta pasta!

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4.87 from 22 votes

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54 Comments

  1. Jordyn Baumgart says:

    4 stars
    Recipe is good especially on the health side. I used whole wheat pasta for extra fiber and protein, but make sure to not overcooked it. The texture of the pasta is paramount to this dish in my opinion. Same with the blending, blend it very well or the texture is grainy. Also I wouldn’t recommend adding any other cheese besides some extra parm into it. I added mozzarella (didnt blend it I added it in the pan) to it and I wasn’t a fan of the texture since it didnt mix in very well. Dont skip out on the lemon juice its super important to the flavor (it doesnt make it lemony just brightens it) Anyway I am definitely adding this to the rotation!

    Reply