This vibrant Green Pasta is packed with sneaky veggies to make a delicious superfood pesto. It's ready in 20 minutes, perfect for a healthy, family-friendly weeknight meal.
This vibrant green pasta sauce will be loved by even fussy eaters. This delicious pasta dish is actually a fun take on pesto. It tastes like regular pesto, however with sneaky greens and goodies that you can't even taste! I mean who doesn't love pesto right! I've used my classic pesto recipe, as the base which I've then elevated with some superfoods. The bright green sauce includes leafy kale, zucchini and walnuts making it a nutritional powerhouse of a dish.
The best part is it that this pasta comes together in 20 minutes, making it a great weeknight dinner or last minute meal. It's also perfect for those days when you know you need to eat more vegetables, so it’s a great way to include them in an overall dish. Kids will love it too as they won't know what's in it 🙂
You can also use the green sauce on other dishes like you would regular pesto. I personally love adding pesto on pasta, pizza or even sandwiches as a spread. I've also shared my classic pesto recipe, along with a sundried tomato pesto and Sicilian pesto which uses fresh tomatoes for you to check out!
Feel free to add extra protein such as crispy tofu, salmon or fish, grilled chicken, chickpeas or even shrimp on the side for an extra boost. You can also add extra veggies if you're feeling adventurous too!
Table of Contents
Why you'll love this Green Pasta
- Quick & easy: Ready in under 30 minutes, perfect for busy weeknights
- Hidden veggies: Packed with kale, zucchini, and fresh herbs, this dish is a sneaky way to add extra nutrients to your diet
- Customizable: Swap ingredients or add protein to make it your own
- Family friendly: A crowd-pleasing dish that's perfect for all ages
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Pasta, any shape of pasta will work, in this recipe I've used farfalle. Rigatoni, penne, or you can also make green spaghetti
- Kale leaves and Zucchini are two key veggies used in the pesto. They add a slightly bitter flavor and touch of sweetness along with key vitamins. Spinach or a mix of greens can be used instead, depending what's in season, like chopped broccoli florets
- Basil leaves, fresh basil provides a fragrant and delicious pesto base
- Garlic cloves make part of the base of the pesto's flavor without being as harsh as its sauteed to begin with
- Walnuts adds a nutty richness. Toasted pine nuts are a classic alternative, or try cashews. To make it nut-free, try it with sunflower seeds
- Parmesan cheese adds a salty, cheesy depth. Nutritional yeast is a great vegan substitute that is dairy-free
- Extra virgin olive oil creates a smooth and flavorful base for the pesto
- Lemon juice brightens up the flavors and cuts through the richness
How to make Green Pasta
- Sauté chopped garlic in olive oil over medium heat. Once lightly golden add sliced zucchini, season and sauté together
- At the same time, boil water in a large pot and salt it well. Add kale leaves to cook for about 2 minutes
- Add some of the boiling water to the pan and simmer for a few minutes until the zucchini has softened. Then turn off the heat
- Add pasta and cook 2 minutes under the cooking package instructions
- Blend the kale, zucchini and a splash of pasta water in a blender. Then add parmesan, basil, walnuts, lemon juice, olive oil, pinch of salt, along with another splash of pasta water. Pulse until well combined. TIP, don't over blend it, it should be a thick creamy consistency
- Drain pasta and add to the pan. Pour in pesto, add a splash of pasta water and cook for a couple of minutes. It's ready to serve!
Tips and Tricks
- Cook kale and zucchini before blending together eliminates any bitter taste
- I find it tastes best when veggies are blended smooth with some of the pasta water as stage 1 of the pesto, before adding the remaining pesto ingredients. That way you can leave some texture and not over blend the basil and walnuts
- Reserve some pasta water! The pasta water is the glue that marries your sauce and pasta together. Once the pasta is cooked, add to your pan, pour over the pesto with a splash of pasta water
- Leftover pesto? Toss it with roasted veggies, spread it on sandwiches, or use it as a pizza topping
Storage Instructions, reheating and freezing
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days
- Reheat in a pan over the stovetop with a splash of water, cook for a few minutes over medium-heat until heated through. You can also use a microwave
- Freeze the pesto sauce for up to 3 months. I don't recommend freezing the cooked pasta as the texture won't be the same upon thawing
FAQs
Yes! Prepare the pesto and when ready cook the pasta according to package instructions. Toss everything together just before serving for the freshest flavor
Yes it's naturally vegetarian and can easily be made vegan by using a vegan parmesan substitute
Absolutely! Add in grilled chicken, cooked prawns or crispy tofu before serving
More Quick Pastas
- Pasta with Peas
- Spicy Vodka Pasta
- Burrata Pasta
- Lemon Pasta
- Broccoli Pasta
- Spaghetti Alla Puttanesca
- Baked Feta Pasta
- Miso Pasta
I love seeing your creations and remakes, so be sure to rate the recipe, comment and share your Green Pasta photo on Instagram so I can share the love!
Recipe
Green Pasta (Delicious Sneaky Veggies)
Ingredients
- 12 oz pasta (I've used farfalle)
- 2 oz kale leaves
- 1 oz basil leaves
- 1 zucchini
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 oz walnuts
- 1 oz parmesan cheese or vegan parmesan
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ lemon juice squeezed
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Chop garlic into cubes and zucchini into slices. In a pan sauté garlic in 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Once lightly golden add zucchini, season with salt and sauté together
- At the same time boil water in a large pot and salt it well. Add the kale leaves and let them blanch for about 2 minutes. Remove them once they’ve wilted
- Add a splash of the boiling kale water to the pan and simmer for a few minutes until the zucchini has softened. Then turn off the heat
- Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook 2 minutes under the cooking package instructions (it should still be al dente)
- Whilst the pasta is cooking, add the cooked kale, zucchini and a splash of pasta water to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Then add the basil, walnuts, parmesan, lemon juice, remaining olive oil, pinch of salt, along with another splash of pasta water. Pulse until well combined* Don't over-blend so it keeps some texture. It should be a thick creamy consistency so if it's too thick, add a splash more of the pasta water if needed
- Drain the cooked pasta and add to the pan. Pour in the pesto, add a splash of pasta water and let it cook together for a couple of minutes. Serve up your super Green Pasta and enjoy!
Kaitlin says
This is sooo good!!! Made this for my mom and she loved it!!
Ayeh says
Yay so happy your mama loved it xx