Spinach pasta with hidden vegetables and a creamy base that kids would love. One of the best summer pasta recipes you would ever make.
Aj loves spinach from his childhood days and whatever is green, he says it's healthy. No fuss eating spinach, thanks to Popeye for seeding it early.
I do have another green avocado pasta in my website as well as Spaghetti with spinach. But trust me this looks so pleasing to eyes that kids would love to have it! Best part is using up last bit of summer vegetables like zucchini and peas you can add both hidden or in chopped form.
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Ingredients
I used fusilli pasta variety, but any pasta shape will work in this without having a say.
- Spinach
- Green peas
- Zucchini
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions
This spinach pasta recipe can be easily made gluten free obviously, by using the specific gluten free pasta. Likewise make it vegan as in the original recipe form where I adapted this one.
- Dried herb - You can use fresh basic instead of dried herb. It adds more intense flavor as well as color.
- Cream cheese - Parmesan cheese can be used if you are fine using it. There is also vegetarian friendly option you will get in shops, so if you can find, you can easily swap for cream cheese.
- Cream - I used cooking cream which is comparatively lower in fat than the heavy cream. You can also use heavy cream thinned out with water or even half and half (evaporated milk) or plain milk as replacement. But depepnding on the ingredient you use, the consistency of sauce also varies.
- Garlic powder - Fresh minced garlic can be used.
Variations
Here are some things you can adjust in the recipe.
- Spicy - I thought adding a green chilli along spinach while sauteeing will be a nice twist. You can also use red chilli flakes.
- Crunch - add toasted pine nuts
- Other vegetables - Broccoli, broccolini, snap peas for green options. Cherry tomatoes, eggplant instead of zucchini.
Want to make it as baked pasta? Just make it more saucy and bake it with mozzarella cheese topping. Refer my baked pasta for temperature settings.
See this Butter corn pasta recipe on my website!
Video
Is video more your thing? Here's a quick video on how to make this summer pasta recipe.
Storage
You can store leftovers in coldest part of fridge and re-use for another meal within a day. It may become dry eventually, so make sure to add a dash of milk or more cream or water to loosen up.
Taste it and season accordingly with salt. Re-heat in low flame but make sure to stir well as you heat and make the pasta hot.
Top tip
Use pasta cooked water to adjust the consistency of the sauce. You can also use milk.
Recipe card
Spinach pasta recipe | Green pasta sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup Pasta Fusilli
- 1 cup Spinach
- ½ cup Green peas Divided
- ½ Zucchini Divided
- ½ Onion
- 3 to 4 tablespoon Cream cheese I used herb flavored cream cheese
- ½ cup Cooking cream Refer notes
- 1 teaspoon Lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon Garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon Dried Italian herb Basil/ Oregano/ or Mixed Italian herbs
- 1 tablespoon Butter Divided
- Salt
Instructions
Cook pasta
- Take a large sauce pan/ cooking pot and pour 6 cups water to begin with.
- Bring to boil (cover with lid to make it quick) and add pasta, along with salt as well as few drops of olive oil to it (optional).1 cup Pasta
- Bring to boil and put the flame to medium. Refer the pasta package for cooking time. Mine was 10 mins, so I cooked until 10 mins and 'al dente' - not too firm as well as not too soft).
- Drain from water (a colander helps) and reserve about a cup of water which will be handy later if needed.
- I keep it covered until using in recipe.
Saute veggies
- In a fry pan, add ½ the butter firstly. Then in medium heat, add onion, half the zuchhini and half the peas.½ Zucchini, ½ Onion, 1 tablespoon Butter, ½ cup Green peas
- Saute for 2 minutes or until the onion turns translucent and zucchini also cooked just right.
- After that, transfer this over the cooked pasta.
Prepare green sauce
- Return the pan to heat again, then add remaining butter. Continue by adding remaining peas, zucchini and saute for another 2 minutes.½ cup Green peas, 1 tablespoon Butter, ½ Zucchini
- After that, add washed spinach and cook until all are wilted.1 cup Spinach
- Then add cooking cream, cream cheese, dried herb, garlic powder.3 to 4 tablespoon Cream cheese, ½ cup Cooking cream, ¼ teaspoon Dried Italian herb, ½ teaspoon Garlic powder
- Mix well and switch off the flame. Add lemon juice, mix well. Remove to cool down.1 teaspoon Lemon juice
- Once cooled, place in blender and grind smoothly with salt.
- If too thick, you can add reserved pasta water.
- Now, add the ground green sauce to the pasta and veggies in the pot.
- Switch on the heat and stir well. To adjust the consistency of the sauce, add reserved pasta cooked water. Ground peas will make the sauce thicken and gives creamy texture.
- Let the sauce bubble and all the pasta gets coated with sauce, gets hot.
Video
Notes
- I used cooking cream which has 20 % fat. If using heavy cream you can reduce the amount to half and dilute with regular milk to thin it out.
- To check if you have seasoned the water right with salt : If you taste the pasta cooking water, it should be like sea water, that much salty.
- Instead of using half the vegetables sauteed, you can fully grind the veggies and may a sneaky veggie sauce.
How to cook pasta
1 cup fusilli pasta - Serves 2
1. Take a large sauce pan/ cooking pot and pour 6 cups water to begin with. Bring to boil (cover with lid to make it quick) and add pasta, along with salt as well as few drops of olive oil to it.
How much salt to add while cooking pasta? If you taste the water, it should be like sea water, that much salty.
2. Bring to boil and put the flame to medium. Refer the pasta packge for cooking time. Mine was 10 mins, so I cooked until 10 mins and 'al dente' - not too firm as well as not too soft).
3. Drain from water (a colander helps) and reserve about a cup of water which will be handy later if needed. Keep it covered until use.
Instructions
1. In a fry pan, add ½ the butter firstly. Then in medium heat, add onion, half the zuchhini and half the peas.
2. Saute for 2 minutes or until the onion turns translucent and zucchini also cooked just right.
3. After that, transfer this over the cooked pasta.
Prepare green sauce
1. Return the pan to heat again, then add remaining butter. Continue by adding remaining peas, zucchini and saute for another 2 minutes.
2. After that, add washed spinach and cook until all are wilted.
3. Then add cooking cream, cream cheese, dried herb, garlic powder.
4. Mix well and switch off the flame. Add lemon juice, mix well.
5. Remove in a plate to cool down.
6. Once cooled, place in blender and grind smoothly with salt. If too thick, you can add reserved pasta water.
7. Now, add the ground green sauce to the pasta and veggies in the pot.
8. Switch on the heat and stir well. To adjust the consistency of the sauce, add reserved pasta cooked water. Ground peas will make the sauce thicken and gives creamy texture.
Let the sauce bubble and all the pasta gets coated with sauce, gets hot.
9. Switch of the stove, finally transfer the pasta to serving bowls.
This is great for lunch or dinner as such, making a wholesome meal. Season with black pepper and you can also can serve with a generous sprinkle of parmesan cheese.
Gayathri
Looks very delicious and healthy. Can we use palak instead of spinach?
Raks Anand
Yes sure 🙂