Plant-based pasta with fresh spinach and toasted walnuts blended into a velvety green sauce. Quick, nutritious, and completely dairy-free.
# What You Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 12 oz dried pasta (spaghetti, penne, or preferred shape)
→ 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 tablespoons nutritional yeast
07 - 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
08 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
09 - 1/2 teaspoon salt, adjusted to taste
10 - 1/4 teaspoon 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 pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water before draining.
02 - While pasta cooks, toast walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently until fragrant and golden. Transfer to a plate to cool.
03 - In a high-speed blender or food processor, combine toasted walnuts (reserving some 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 sides as needed.
04 - Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning as desired. Add more milk for a thinner consistency or additional nutritional yeast for enhanced umami depth.
05 - Return drained pasta to pot. Pour spinach walnut sauce over pasta and toss thoroughly to coat. Gradually add reserved pasta water until reaching desired silky, creamy consistency.
06 - Transfer to serving plates immediately. Top with chopped toasted walnuts, freshly ground black pepper, and lemon zest if desired.
