Creamy Spinach Pesto Pasta Recipe (2024)

Published: Jul 25, 2022 by Shadi HasanzadeNemati · This post may contain affiliate links .

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This spinach pesto pasta is creamy and rich, plus it's loaded with vegetables. Easy to make and ready in 30 minutes, this vegetarian pasta is both healthy and delicious.

Looking for an easy vegetarian dish? You've got to try my favorite creamy spinach pesto pasta. Just like roasted vegetables pasta this dish is packed with a lot of vegetables, making it the perfect vegetarian weeknight dinner - but even carnivores will appreciate its rich flavor!

Table Of Contents:

Why you'll love this recipe
Ingredients And Substitutions
How To Make Spinach Pesto Pasta
Variations
Serving Suggestions
Frequently Asked Questions
You'll Love: More Recipes With Spinach
Step-by-Step Recipe

Why you'll love this recipe

Easy to make - Basically all you have to do issauté and blend vegetables, then mix the pesto with the cooked pasta. This recipe is so simple and doesn't require any specific skills.
Packed with vegetables - This green pasta sauce is made with heaps or spinach, zucchini, jalapeno, parsley and basil. It's a great way to sneak in a lot of vegetables into a meal! This is one of our favorite healthy dinners that kids love too!
Quick - Similar to our lemon ricotta pasta, it only takes 30 minutes from start to finish to make this creamy and delicious spinach pesto pasta.

Ingredients And Substitutions

Pasta: I love using refrigerated linguine pasta for this recipe because of its texture and flavor. However, you can use any kind of pasta that's available to you.
Zucchini: Depending on the size of each zucchini, you will need 1 to 2 zucchinis for this dish.
Spinach: You can use bay spinach or regular spinach; there is no need for chopping since all will be blended later.
Jalapeno: This is optional: I love a little heat in the pasta that's why I use 1 jalapeno. I remove the seeds so the heat is tolerable. You can also use serrano pepper.
Parsley and basil - Remove the thick stems but keep the tender ones for flavor.
Walnuts: Walnuts add a nice addition of flavor to the sauce, they are also a good source of healthy fats.
Parmesan: Finely grated parmesan adds a lot of flavor and creaminess to the sauce. You can also use pecorino.

How To Make Spinach Pesto Pasta

Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan and cook the zucchini slices for a few minutes.
Add in the spinach and cook until wilted. Turn the heat off and set it aside.
Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Drain and save about 2 cups of the pasta water.
In a blender add the zucchini and spinach with the garlic, jalapeno, parsley, basil, walnut, olive oil and parmesan. Blend on high until creamy.
Pour the pesto sauce into the pan and turn the heat on to medium. If the sauce is too thick, add some pasta water to it.
Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and stir to coat all the noodles with the sauce.

Variations

What I love the most about this recipe is that it's so versatile and you can modify it to your liking. Here are a few suggestions:

Use other green vegetables including kale, broccoli or even arugula to make the sauce.
Make it spicy by adding more jalapenos or serrano peppers.
Use other kind of pasta such as spaghetti, penne or rigatoni.
Serve with some grilled chicken or baked chicken for extra protein.
Instead of raw garlic, add a head of roasted garlic for a more subtle flavor.

Serving Suggestions

This pasta dish is so tasty on its own, but you can serve it with many different sides such as garlic cheese pull apart bread, caprese salad, Greek salad, Mediterranean salad or roasted artichokes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this pasta dish ahead of time?

You can make this dish up to a day in advance. You might need to add a little bit of water when reheating.

Can I use frozen spinach to make this recipe?

I don't recommend using frozen spinach since the color is not as bright and vibrant as fresh spinach.

What to do with the leftovers?

Store the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. To reheat, place the leftovers in a pan over medium heat and add ¼ cup water. Cover with a lid and heat for 10 to 15 minutes.

You'll Love: More Recipes With Spinach

Classic Spanakopita Recipe (Greek Spinach Pie)
Spanakorizo Greek Spinach Rice
Spinach Yogurt Dip Persian Style (Borani Esfenaj)
Persian Spinach and Eggs (Nargesi)

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Step-by-Step Recipe