Delicious and Nutritious Green Pasta Recipe – Easy Weeknight Dinner

Nellie Kerrison

2 July 2024

Delicious and Nutritious Green Pasta Recipe – Easy Weeknight Dinner

There’s nothing quite like a comforting bowl of pasta, especially when it’s brimming with fresh, vibrant greens. This Green Pasta recipe has quickly become a favourite in our household. It’s a fantastic way to get those nutritious greens into a delicious meal that everyone will love.

This recipe is perfect for those busy weeknights when you need something quick, healthy, and satisfying. I love that it requires minimal prep—no chopping needed! Just blend some spinach, kale, basil (or parsley or dill or a combo), and garlic with feta, cream cheese, and olive oil to create a rich, creamy sauce that clings to every strand of spaghetti.

Whether you’re looking to sneak more greens into your family’s diet or just want a deliciously wholesome meal, this Green Pasta will hit the spot. Give it a try, and I hope it brings as much joy to your table as it does to ours!

You Can Have Your Greens and Your Pasta Too: The Ultimate Comfort Food

Winter is upon us, and with it comes the craving for warm, comforting dishes that can wrap us in a cozy culinary hug. If you’re like me, you want those comforting carbs but also want to make sure you’re getting plenty of greens. Enter our Delicious and Nutritious Green Pasta Recipe — A dish that beautifully marries the best of both worlds.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

One of the best parts about this Green Pasta Recipe is that is the ease and speed of preparation. There’s no chopping required; just blend and go!

Nutritional Benefits

This dish is not just about taste—it’s a nutritional powerhouse.

Spinach and Kale: These leafy greens are loaded with vitamins A, C, and K. They support your immune system, improve your vision, and keep your bones strong. Plus, they’re packed with iron and calcium.
Basil: This fragrant herb is not only delicious but also rich in antioxidants that help fight inflammation.
Garlic: Known for its heart-healthy properties, garlic can help reduce blood pressure and improve cholesterol levels.
Feta and Cream Cheese: While they add a lovely creaminess to the dish, they also provide protein and healthy fats, making this meal balanced and satisfying. I love to use Meredith Dairy Goats cheese with fresh dill for this recipe. They have a smaller packet for less than $5 and it is a winner.

Recipe Rundown

Here’s a quick look at how you can whip up this delightful dish:

Cook the Pasta: Start by boiling your favorite whole wheat spaghetti (or any pasta you like) until it’s perfectly al dente.
Blend the Sauce: In a blender, combine fresh baby spinach, torn kale leaves, fresh basil, peeled garlic cloves, crumbled feta, cream cheese, and extra-virgin olive oil. Add a cup of hot pasta water to help everything blend smoothly.
Mix and Serve: Drain the cooked pasta, return it to the pot, and stir in the vibrant green sauce. Serve immediately with extra crumbled feta on top.

Making It Your Own

This recipe is incredibly versatile. Feel free to toss in some frozen peas or broccoli towards the end of cooking for an extra dose of veggies.

Versatile Green sauce

I love to make a little extra sauce. It is a great greens boost for brekky too. I love to add it to my scrambled eggs mix or warm it & spoon it on top of poached eggs or baked fish. Play around a little as it is flavour packed, nutritious & might become the new green machine in your kitchen repertoire.

A Note on Ingredients

Using whole wheat spaghetti not only adds a nutty flavor that complements the green sauce but also provides additional fibre, which is great for digestion. If you’re gluten-free, you could swap the pasta for your favourite gluten-free variety.

Final Thoughts

This Green Pasta is more than just a meal; it’s a celebration of the season’s best greens blended into a creamy, dreamy sauce that clings to each strand of spaghetti. It’s the kind of dish that makes you feel warm and nourished from the inside out. Perfect for a cozy night in or a quick weeknight dinner. It fast became a favourite in our house and I hope it will for yours too.

So, next time you’re craving something comforting but don’t want to skimp on the greens, give this Green Pasta Recipe a try.

Love Nellie

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Delicious and Nutritious Green Pasta Recipe – Easy Weeknight Dinner

Serves 4

Green Pasta

There's nothing quite like a comforting bowl of pasta, especially when it's brimming with fresh, vibrant greens. This Green Pasta recipe has quickly become a favourite in our household. It’s a fantastic way to get those nutritious greens into a delicious meal that everyone will love. This recipe is perfect for those busy weeknights when you need something quick, healthy, and satisfying. I love that it requires minimal prep—no chopping needed! Just blend some spinach, kale, basil (or parsley or dill or a combo), and garlic with feta, cream cheese, and olive oil to create a rich, creamy sauce that clings to every strand of spaghetti. Whether you're looking to sneak more greens into your family's diet or just want a deliciously wholesome meal, this Green Pasta will hit the spot. Give it a try, and I hope it brings as much joy to your table as it does to ours!

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Course: Lunch, Dinner, pasta

Diet: Vegetarian

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 20

Servings:

Calories: 683kcal

Author: Nellie Kerrison | Relish Mama

Cost: $20

Equipment

1 Pasta pot
1 Strainer / Colander
1 blender or food processor

Ingredients

Sea salt
500 g spaghetti
150 g fresh baby spinach which is about 1/3 of a standard bunch of baby spinah
10 large leaves of cavalo nero Tuscan kale or black cabbage or regular kale - remove the stems & discard these & roughly chop or tear the leaves (
1 handful fresh basil leaves or use 1/3 bunch of dill or parsley – or a combo if basil is not in season
3 garlic cloves peeled
50 g crumbled goats cheese or feta cheese I love Meredith Dairy goats cheese with fresh dill for this recipe, personally, plus a little extra for serving. They have a 80g little packet for less than $5 which is great for this recipe.
50 g cream cheese roughly chopped
60 ml extra-virgin olive oil
Some freshly grated parmesan to serve

Instructions

Place a large pot filled with boiling water onto the stove top. Add salt and bring it to the boil. Your water should be as salty as the sea when cooking pasta.
Add the spaghetti to the pot and cook according to the package direction timing.
Whilst your pasta is cooking, place your greens, including the herbs, garlic, feta cheese, cream cheese, and olive oil in a food processor or blender and add a cup of the boiling water from the pasta pot (this will have some good starch & will loosen the sauce). Blend until smooth. Taste & adjust our salt & pepper accordingly.
Drain the pasta and then place it in the same cooking pot.
Stir through the green sauce to combine well.
Serve immediately, on your favourite platter, along with some freshly grated parmesan as well as the extra crumbled feta cheese on top.