Go Back
+ servings
Pasta with Spinach Sauce
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Green Pasta with Spinach Sauce

A delicious recipe for a 5-ingredient spinach pasta sauce.  Whiz it together in a few minutes and serve with your favorite pasta or ravioli. 
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Course: Main Course, Pasta
Cuisine: American, Italian
Diet: Vegetarian
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 599kcal
Author: Helen

Ingredients

Spinach pasta:

  • 14 oz dried pasta (Note 1)
  • 5 cups fresh spinach (Note 2)
  • ½ cup sour cream (Note 13)
  • ½ cup Parmesan finely grated (Note 4)
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp garlic powder (Note 5)
  • ½ lemon juice + zest

Lemon and Parmesan crumbs:

  • 1.5 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 tbsp breadcrumbs
  • ¼ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ lemon (zest) grated
  • ¼ cup Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  • Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water until al dente.
  • Meanwhile, place the spinach, sour cream or crème fraîche, Parmesan, salt, garlic powder, lemon juice, and zest in a food processor and blitz until a smooth sauce is formed.
  • Cook the pasta according to package instructions in a large pot of generously salted water.
  • Parmesan and lemon crumbs:
  • Place a frying pan on a medium-high heat and add the olive oil.
  • Add the breadcrumbs, lemon zest and garlic powder when the oil is hot and toast for a few minutes until the crumbs begin to brown.
  • Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the toasted crumbs to a bowl.
  • Stir in the grated Parmesan.
  • Combine the sauce with the freshly boiled pasta.
  • Sprinkle the lemon and parmesan crumbs on top and enjoy

Video

Notes

  1. Pasta: Use any shape you fancy. I like to use short pasta shapes like fusilli or rigatoni.
  2. Spinach: Use fresh spinach or baby spinach instead of frozen. This recipe has not been tested with frozen spinach, and it is likely to increase the water content of the sauce. Ensure your spinach is dry before you begin. 
  3. Sour cream: You could also use pouring cream or crème fraîche instead. Avoid using heavy cream or cream cheese because you won't get the right consistency and the sauce would also be too rich.
  4. Parmesan: Switch for freshly grated pecorino, Grana Padano, or nutritional yeast. 
  5. Garlic powder: You can also use fresh garlic cloves instead, but you will need to mellow it first, so it doesn't add an unwanted sharp flavor to the sauce.
 
Storage:
Leftover sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Just make sure you cover it with plastic wrap or put it into an airtight container.
 

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 599kcal | Carbohydrates: 86g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 419mg | Potassium: 528mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 3845IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 332mg | Iron: 3mg