Creamy Spinach Walnut Pasta (Printer-Friendly)

Fresh spinach and toasted walnuts create a luscious green coating for pasta in this quick 25-minute plant-based dish.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz dried pasta (spaghetti, penne, or your choice)

→ Sauce

02 - 1 cup raw walnuts
03 - 4 cups fresh baby spinach, packed
04 - 1 cup unsweetened plant-based milk (oat, soy, or almond)
05 - 2 garlic cloves
06 - 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
07 - 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
08 - 2 tbsp lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
09 - 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
10 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
11 - Pinch of ground nutmeg (optional)

→ Garnish

12 - Extra toasted walnuts, chopped
13 - Freshly ground black pepper
14 - Lemon zest (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
02 - While the pasta cooks, toast the walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3–4 minutes, stirring often, until fragrant and golden. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
03 - In a high-speed blender or food processor, combine the toasted walnuts (reserve a few for garnish), spinach, plant-based milk, garlic, nutritional yeast, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and nutmeg (if using). Blend until completely smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as needed.
04 - Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Add more milk for a thinner sauce or more nutritional yeast for extra cheesiness.
05 - Return the drained pasta to the pot. Pour the spinach walnut sauce over the pasta and toss to coat. Add reserved pasta water as needed to achieve a silky, creamy consistency.
06 - Serve immediately, garnished with extra chopped walnuts, freshly ground black pepper, and lemon zest if desired.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The sauce comes together in minutes but tastes like something from a fancy Italian restaurant
  • Its incredibly forgiving and adaptable to whatever nuts or milk you have in your pantry
  • Even spinach skeptics wont notice the greens when theyre blended into this luscious, velvety sauce
  • Leftovers actually taste better the next day as the flavors meld together
02 -
  • The sauce will look frighteningly thick in the blender but thins out beautifully when tossed with hot pasta and starchy water
  • Blending hot liquids can cause pressure buildup, so let your toasted walnuts cool slightly before adding them to the blender
  • This sauce emulsifies best when tossed with hot pasta, so have everything ready before you drain the pasta
03 -
  • Reserve more pasta water than you think you need, it's the secret to that silky, restaurant quality consistency
  • If your blender struggles with the raw spinach, add the milk first and blend briefly before adding remaining ingredients
  • A high speed blender really does make a difference here, creating that velvety smooth texture
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