This Spinach Pesto Green Goddess Pasta is nutritious, vibrant, and toddler-approved — yet elegant enough to earn a spot on your table when the weather starts to turn.
I recently served it at my Spring Awakening brunch —part of my monthly themed gathering series for March — and needless to say, it was the undisputed star of the spread. The creaminess here comes not from heavy cream, but from toasted nuts and a generous handful of parmesan, blended into a smooth, velvety pesto that clings beautifully to every strand of pasta.
You can just as easily swap the parmesan for crumbled feta for a tangy twist, or stir in a spoonful of cottage cheese for an added protein boost. As with all my recipes, this one is endlessly adaptable — and it never, ever disappoints.
How To Make This
Green Goddess Spinach Pesto Pasta
You need just ten minutes to blitz together the creamiest Green Goddess Spinach Pesto, and another five to bring it all together with your pasta of choice — making this one of the most effortless yet impressive dishes in your repertoire.
- Cook your pasta. Boil your pasta of choice in well-salted water until just shy of al dente. Drain and set aside, reserving a generous splash of pasta water.
- Blanch the spinach. Briefly plunge your spinach into boiling water for 30 seconds, then straight into an ice bath. This is the pro tip that keeps your pesto a stunning, vibrant green rather than turning murky in the blender.
- Toast the nuts. Add your nuts of choice (I’d recommend pine nuts or cashews for that extra creaminess) to a dry pan over medium heat and toast for 2–3 minutes until golden and fragrant. This small step makes a big difference — toasting deepens the flavour and adds a subtle nuttiness that takes the pesto from good to exceptional.
- Whip up the pesto. In a blender, combine the blanched spinach, basil, parsley, toasted nuts, lemon juice, garlic, parmesan (or cottage cheese/ricotta for a lighter twist), olive oil and your seasonings — salt, pepper, and a pinch of oregano. Blitz until smooth and silky, then taste and adjust the seasoning.
- Bring it all together. Gently heat the pesto in a pan with a splash of the reserved pasta water. Once it reaches a soft simmer, add the cooked pasta and toss well until every strand is gloriously coated. Serve topped with fresh basil, an extra shower of parmesan, and dive in!
Green Goddess Spinach Pesto Pasta
Ingredients
- 200 gm pasta of choice
- 1 cup spinach
- ½ cup basil leaves
- ¼ cup parsley (chopped)
- ¼ cup cashews/ pine nuts (or nuts of choice)
- 1 lemon (juiced)
- 2-3 garlic cloves
- ¼ cup parmesan (you can swap in feta/ cottage cheese/ ricotta for more protein)
- seasonings of choice (chilli flakes, oregano, salt, pepper)
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Cook your pasta of choice until just shy of al dente. Drain, reserving the pasta water for later.
- Toast the nuts in a dry pan on medium heat until lightly charred and fragrant. Be careful not to burn them. Remove and set aside.
- Blanche the spinach leaves in hot water for 30 seconds. Remove immediately and shock in ice water.
- Squeeze out all the water/ moisture from the spinach with your hands and add it to a blender jar, along with basil leaves, parsley, toasted nuts, lemon juice garlic, olive oil, parmesan/ cheese of choice and seasonings
- Blitz until smooth and creamy, pausing to scrape down the sides as required.
- Loosen the pesto with a splash of the pasta water and pour it in a pan on low heat, stirring gently.
- Once the pesto sauce comes to a soft simmer, mix in your cooked pasta.
- Give it a good toss to combine and serve garnished with more basil and parmesan… AND DIVE IN!
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