Little Seasons

Green Goddess Pasta with Vibrant Spinach Sauce

This Green Goddess pasta is everything you want in a weeknight dinner: fast, fresh, and full of flavor. Tender linguine (or your favorite sauce-loving pasta) gets coated in a silky spinach sauce blended with garlic, lemon, olive oil, Parmesan, and plenty of fresh herbs. It tastes bright and creamy, but it’s surprisingly light and comes together in the time it takes to boil the pasta.

Ingredients

• 12 oz (340 g) linguine, rigatoni, or other pasta that holds sauce well
• 5 oz (140 g) fresh baby spinach, packed
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, lightly packed (or flat-leaf parsley)
• 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
• 1/2 cup reserved hot pasta cooking water (plus extra as needed)
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 2–3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (to taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, for heat)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts or sliced almonds (optional, for topping)

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Boil the pasta. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook the linguine or rigatoni according to package directions until al dente. Before draining, scoop out at least 1 cup of the hot starchy pasta water and set it aside.
2. Prep the spinach and herbs. While the pasta cooks, rinse and pat dry the spinach and basil (or parsley). Roughly tear any larger leaves so they blend easily.
3. Blend the Green Goddess sauce. In a blender or food processor, combine the spinach, basil or parsley, garlic, lemon zest, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, red pepper flakes (if using), a generous pinch of salt, and several grinds of black pepper. Pour in the olive oil. Blend until very smooth and vibrant green, scraping down the sides as needed.
4. Add Parmesan and adjust consistency. Add the grated Parmesan and 1/4 cup of the hot pasta cooking water to the blender. Blend again until creamy. If the sauce seems too thick, add more pasta water a tablespoon at a time until it reaches a pourable, pesto-like consistency. Taste and adjust with more lemon juice, salt, or pepper as needed.
5. Toss the pasta with the sauce. Return the drained pasta to the warm pot off the heat. Pour the spinach sauce over the pasta and toss well to coat every noodle, adding a splash or two of reserved pasta water if it needs to loosen up and get extra glossy.
6. Serve and garnish. Divide the Green Goddess pasta among bowls. Top with extra Parmesan, a few more fresh herb leaves, and toasted pine nuts or almonds if you like. Serve right away while it’s hot and bright green.
7. Make it your own. For extra protein, add pan-seared chicken, crispy chickpeas, or white beans. A handful of peas, asparagus, or broccoli florets is also lovely stirred in with the pasta for even more green goodness.