This green spinach pasta sauce is fast (8 minutes!), easy, healthy, and super delicious. It’s creamy, garlicky, and packed with nutrients – for a simple dairy-free, oil-free, nut-free, midweek meal the entire family will love!
10-Minute Basil, Garlic, and Spinach Pasta Sauce
I’ve already shared a simple one-pot pasta and quick 20-minute garlic noodles. Now it’s the time to go one step further with this super quick and easy spinach pasta sauce that you can throw together in less than 10 minutes with one saucepan and a food processor. Serve the green pasta sauce with pasta of choice or low-carb zucchini noodles for a fuss-free, crowd-pleasing meat-free meal.
Usually, you can find me sneakily hiding vegetables in everything (like this cauliflower-based alfredo sauce and a zucchini pizza crust). But this vibrant spinach sauce has no issues with advertising itself. All while still being proudly adult and child approved. It’s creamy, comforting, and flavorful, yet light enough not to weigh you down.
With a combination of spinach, basil, garlic, and nutritional yeast, this healthy pasta sauce hits several flavor notes of a pesto sauce (like this avocado pesto) but is much lighter and lower calorie thanks to the omission of oil and dairy. It’s also pantry friendly, fairly low budget, and packed with nutrients and antioxidants, which is always a bonus!
The Health Benefits of Spinach
We’ve probably all grown up being told to eat our greens. In the case of spinach, I can certainly see why. Here are just a few benefits found (read more on Healthline) in this healthy spinach sauce.
- It’s loaded with several vitamins, including vitamins A, C, and K. These are important for immune function, skin, blood clotting, etc.
- An excellent source of plant-based iron, which is an essential mineral for healthy blood.
- Contains moderate levels of calcium and folic acid.
- Rich in antioxidants, which helps protect cells from oxidative stress and fight inflammation.
- Contains several plant compounds that help ward off infection, promote heart health, improve eye health, and more.
- Contains lots of nitrates, which moderate blood pressure and improve heart health.
Looking for more ways to enjoy this impressive leafy green? Check out my easy spinach tortillas, spinach artichoke dip, or spinach and ‘ricotta’ cannelloni!
The Green Pasta Sauce Ingredients
All you require are simple ingredients to prepare this spinach sauce for pasta, including:
- Spinach: You can use fresh or frozen (and thawed, with excess liquid removed) spinach leaves. Use regular or baby spinach.
- Basil: Just a small amount really packs in tons of flavor to the creamy spinach sauce.
- Nutritional yeast: To add nutty, cheesy, umami flavor.
- Aromatics: I used a combination of fresh garlic cloves and onion, and also onion powder.
- Coconut milk: I use light coconut milk (canned). Alternatively, use another plant-based milk that is higher in fat, like cashew milk.
- Seasonings: All you need to season this spinach pasta recipe is salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg.
- Starch: Use cornstarch or potato starch to thicken the creamy spinach pasta sauce.
Serve it with the pasta of your choice (regular, whole wheat, or gluten-free). I usually enjoy it with long noodles, i.e., fettuccine, spaghetti, linguine, tagliatelle, etc. You could also use smaller shapes like fusilli or rigatoni. It’s best to use pasta with lots of ridges or grooves to stick to, but you could even mix it into orzo or giant couscous.
Optional Additions:
- Lemon: A splash of lemon juice (or lime juice) brightens the flavor of the green noodles and, as a bonus, helps our bodies to absorb the iron in the spinach better. Boost the flavor further with the addition of lemon zest.
- Nuts/seeds: The addition of ¼ cup of lightly toasted pine nuts, walnuts, cashews, or pistachios will add extra protein and texture. It also helps transform this into more of a spinach pesto.
- Roasted garlic: Instead of fresh garlic, use roasted, which is wonderfully mellow and caramelized. You’ll need to increase the amount, adjusting to taste.
- Herbs: Swap out the basil for parsley and/or cilantro.
- Spice: Use red pepper flakes or chili/cayenne powder to add some heat to the green pasta sauce.
- Cheese: To boost the cheesy flavor further, mix in some vegan cream cheese or even a vegan Parmesan cheese alternative.
For the full ingredients list, measurements, complete recipe method, and nutritional information, read the recipe card below.
How to Make Spinach Pasta Sauce?
This healthy pasta sauce takes just 8 minutes to prepare, perfect for preparing while your pasta of choice cooks.
- First, transfer all the ingredients to a food processor or blender and process until smooth.
- Then, transfer the mixture to a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring regularly.
- Allow it to simmer for 1-2 minutes, or until it thickens. Voilà, the spinach sauce is ready to toss with the pasta of your choice!
How to Store?
Store: Allow it to cool and store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. The leftovers taste great chilled or reheated.
Freeze: I haven’t tried, but I think it should freeze well. Allow it to cool, then transfer into a freezer-safe, airtight container or Ziplock bags and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight before using it chilled or reheated.
Reheat: Use either the stove or a microwave to reheat the spinach pasta sauce. Add a splash of additional liquid (water, milk, or vegetable stock) if needed, to loosen up the sauce.
Serving Recommendations
Once you’ve chosen the pasta to serve this spinach sauce with, there are several ways to add to the recipe, including:
- Vegetables: I particularly like corn, peas, sautéed mushrooms, asparagus, broccoli, roasted bell pepper, olives, roasted cherry tomatoes (sun-dried tomatoes), and roasted mixed veggies. Pre-cook, then mix them in once served.
- Protein: You could serve the pasta with green sauce with crispy tofu, tempeh, or your favorite meat alternative. White beans or chickpeas could also work to boost the plant-based protein.
- Bread: You could serve the spinach fettuccine/pasta with a slice of crusty bread or baguette OR some garlic bread (or garlic naan).
- Salad: I often serve pasta dishes with a simple side salad (i.e., lettuce, cucumber, tomato).
FAQs
Could I substitute the spinach?
This method will also work with other leafy greens like kale (as I’ve done in this kale avocado pasta sauce) or even chard. However, you will need to cook the sauce for slightly longer (I like to wilt the kale in the pasta water before blending it).
Can I omit the starch?
Omitting the starch will leave you with a very thin pasta sauce, so I don’t recommend it. However, you could swap out the coconut milk for one avocado with a splash of dairy-free milk. This not only adds heart-healthy fats, antioxidants, and several vitamins and minerals but will also thicken the sauce without using starch.
Can I use an immersion blender?
Technically, yes, but you may not get the spinach pasta sauce as smooth.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- Utilize pasta water: When you pair pasta with spinach sauce, save a little of the starchy pasta water to mix into this sauce and help it coat the noodles. You can also use it to thin the sauce if desired.
- Use a high-powered food processor/blender: This will ensure you have a super smooth and creamy green pasta sauce.
- Adjust to taste: Adjust any of the seasonings and the garlic to taste.
- Using the leftovers: This creamy green spinach sauce is good for more than just pasta. Use the leftovers as a salad dressing, stirred into cooked grains, or even dolloped over potatoes.
More Vegan Pasta Recipes
- Creamy lemon pasta
- Garlic butter pasta
- Roasted red pepper pasta
- Creamy vegan lasagna soup
- Pumpkin pasta bake
If you try this easy spinach pasta sauce recipe, I’d love a comment and ★★★★★ recipe rating below. Also, please don’t forget to tag me in re-creations on Instagram or Facebook with @elavegan and #elavegan—I love seeing them.
Spinach Pasta Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 oz (90 g) fresh spinach
- 1 handful of fresh basil
- 1 cup (240 ml) light coconut milk (canned) (or any other dairy-free milk)
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp cornstarch or potato starch
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ⅓-½ tsp salt (or to taste)
- Black pepper to taste
- 1 pinch of nutmeg
Instructions
- You can watch the short video for visual instructions.Blend all ingredients in a blender until completely smooth.
- Transfer the mixture to a saucepan and bring it to a boil, stirring regularly.
- Let it simmer for 1-2 minutes and stir frequently.
- Serve with cooked pasta (or grains/potatoes) and enjoy.
Notes
- Check the blog post for substitutes, tips, storing instructions, and step-by-step photos.
- The recipe serves two. Nutrition facts are for one serving.
Nutrition information is an estimate and has been calculated automatically
Simple and Delicious Vegan Cookbook by ElaVeganCLICK HERE to order!If you are using Pinterest, feel free to pin the following photo:
wow. i love parsley so much! try this resipe definitely!
can you say how many grams in handful of basil? I like to use accurate measurements ib cooking:)
thank you so much for your blogs, i appreciate your delicious vegan and healthy recipes so much!:) your mushroom stroganoff is the hit in our family!
Oh, I am sorry but I don’t remember (it’s been a while since I made the recipe the last time and right now I don’t have basil at home). I would say just use enough to taste (you can always add more basil later). 🙂
Excellent recipe, I omitted the nutmeg which brought more of the garlic taste and added hemp seeds for an extra nutritional kick.
Sounds amazing, Steve! Thanks for your feedback. 🙂
O my goodness!! Delish! I’m newly gf/df, and have missed my beloved basil pesto sauces. This recipe hit the spot!
Thank you for your comment! I am so glad you like my recipe 🙂
Hey Ela,
Made this today because it was so easy and I had all the ingredients. Let me tell you I really really loved it. I haven’t enjoyed pasta in a while but this hit the spot. Thank you for an awesome and an easy recipe
❤️
That’s amazing, Ruby! I am so happy that you loved my sauce. Thanks so much for your lovely comment 🙂
This was so delicious and easy to make, thank you for inspiring such a delicious dinner!
Thanks for your wonderful feedback, Jessica. I am really glad you enjoyed your dinner 🙂
Looks incredible Ela! Will have to try it! ????
Thank you, Jodi 🙂 I hope you will like my recipe
Made this for my family the other night and everyone approved! Love packing in the greens with pasta –yummy!
That’s amazing, Julie. Thanks for your wonderful feedback 🙂
Made this recipe last night. Absolutely delicious!! So easy and light. Great alternative to pesto. I made zoodles with mine instead of pasta. Next time I’ll try pasta. Definitely a keeper!!
Thank you so much for your great feedback Ashley! I’m thrilled that you like my recipe. And what a great idea to make zoodles instead of regular pasta 🙂
Ich habe das Rezept ausprobiert und fand es großartig ???? Ich kann es nur weiter empfehlen und dazu geht es auch noch schnell und einfach ????????
Vielen Dank für dein Feedback liebe Nele! Ich freue mich sehr, dass dir mein Rezept gefällt ????????????
Me gustó muchísimo esta salsa!! Hace un tiempito buscaba una “crema”con espinacas y llegaste tu ☺ quiero morder el ???? cuando veo tus recetas en Instagram. ????
Muchas gracias querida!! Estoy feliz que te gusta mi recetas 🙂
Ela!! Such a creative twist! Love how creamy this is, and perfect for zoodles! Thanks for sharing! Dee xx
Thank you, Dee! I am glad you like my recipe. Enjoy your week 🙂
This recipe looks amazing! I do however have a question. Can I use full fat coconut milk instead of the lite version? It’s all I have at home.
Absolutely! I will be even more creamy and delicious. To make lite coconut milk, simply mix it with water. 🙂
I don’t understand 1tbsp of potato ? Is that potatoe flakes? Or like a whole raw potatoe?
Like mentioned in the recipe either 1 tbsp of potato starch or 1 tbsp of corn starch.
I made this recipe for my non vegan family and it was definitely the hit of the night. Easy and so yummy!!! Definitely will be making this pasta a lot because it’s one of my favorite!! Ela your recipes are amazing!
Hey Mariela, that’s awesome! Makes me always happy when non vegans like my vegan recipes. 😀 Thanks for your great feedback 🙂
This sounds so delicious Ela! Definitely going to give it a try. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much for stopping by Corey. Please report back if you try out my recipe 🙂
Can I use something else instead of the coconut milk? Maybe another plant- based drink?
Hi Judith, of course you can, but if you use a different plant based milk with less fat it wont be a bit less creamy 🙂
Well, this may be the best use of 8 minutes in the kitchen everrrr!!!! 🙂
Beautiful dish, yet- so simple! I couldn’t agree more Ela, after a while, eating pasta with tomato sauce can get a bit boring, so the pesto sauce is such a nice change! And I love spinach, I do not go through even one day in the week when i do not eat it, so this is defo something I’m pinning for later!
xxx
Hey Anna, thanks so much for stopping by! And yay so happy you are also a spinach lover. 😀 Thank you for pinning my recipe. Much love 🙂
This sounds savory and simple and perfect on top of so many things! I love pesto but sometimes it can be too basil-y for me, so this seems like the perfect alternative with just a little bit of basil and lots of greens packed in too 🙂 And the coconut milk instead of nuts swap sounds lovely too, I always have plenty of that on hand!
Thank you very much Natalie! I agree pesto is often to basil-y and too “heavy” for me too, so that’s why I tried out this lighter alternative. Please report back if you try out my recipe 🙂
Made this today for my son’s dinner with oat pasta. To my taste buds it was too mild but my son liked it despite the fact that he is a fan of regular pesto, so I didn’t try to change it anyhow just added cherry tomato halves and sprinkled with “parmesan cheese” (cashew+nutritional yeast) ???????? Thank you for sharing this recipe ????
Thanks for your great feedback, I am glad your son liked my recipe. 🙂
I sprinkled some chilli on mine, but not in the sauce prior to cooking, for some extra flavour. might be an option if you make it again and want a little more flavour kick without altering the recipe prior to making 🙂
Absolutely loved this recipe and want to make it again today after having it last night ????
That’s awesome, Michelle! Thanks for your great feedback 🙂
This recipe is so simple yet bursting with flavour. The combination of nutmeg with basil was pure harmony. I’d never thought of making a spinach sauce with coconut milk before. Overall, my whole family loved the dish and has requested that I make it for the entire family next time and not just myself ????. Thank you for sharing!
Yay I am so happy to hear you and your family loved my recipe, that’s awesome 🙂
Just took a screenshot of this recipe. Love that it’s sort of like pesto but creamier! Thanks for sharing this awesome recipe, Ela!
Thank you so much Nisha, I hope you will like it as much as I do. It’s super fast and easy to make. 😀 Enjoy your day 🙂