Super Green Pasta Sauce
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
5 mins
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Cook Time
15 mins
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Servings
2 large
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Calories
783 kcal
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Course
Dinner
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Cuisine
Italian-American Fussion
Super Green Pasta Sauce
Description
This sauce starts by sautéing garlic and shallots in olive oil until soft, then cooking zucchini and spinach until tender and wilted with salt. The cooked vegetables are combined with fresh basil leaves, reserved pasta cooking water, heavy cream, and grated Parmesan cheese, then blended to create a smooth, creamy sauce.
The sauce’s flavor is fresh and herbaceous from the basil and spinach, with a mild sweetness from the zucchini. Cream and Parmesan add richness and saltiness, ensuring the sauce coats pasta evenly. The reserved pasta water helps adjust the sauce’s consistency without diluting flavor.
Prepared pasta is tossed with the warm sauce, which clings to noodles improving each bite’s texture and taste. Garnishing with extra Parmesan and lemon zest adds subtle tang and brightness, enhancing the green vegetable notes. This sauce complements a variety of pasta types, making it versatile for weeknight meals or special dinners.
Ingredients
- 8 oz pasta of choice, e.g., mafaldine
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 shallot
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 zucchini
- 4 spinach large handfuls
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup basil leaves
- 3/4 cup pasta water reserved from cooked pasta
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese grated, plus more for topping
- lemon zest from 1
Instructions
- Bring a pot of heavily salted water to a boil.Chop zucchini into cubes, slice shallot and garlic cloves into thin slices. When the water is boiling, place the pasta in the pot to boil.
- Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat and add the shallots and garlic to the pan. Suate until the garlic and shallot are soft and fragrant - about 3 minutes.
- Add the cubed zucchini to the pan and saute until soft about 4 minutes. Add the spinach to the pan and saute until it is just soft and wilted. Add the salt to the pan and toss again.
- Reserve 3/4 cup of the pasta water from the pot. Drain the pasta and set aside. Place warm sauteed veggies in a blender with the pasta water, basil, heavy cream and parmesan cheese.
- Blend until a smooth and creamy sauce remains. Toss the warm noodles in the warm creamy sauce. Serve with extra parmesan cheese and lemon zest.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 2large
Amount Per Serving
Calories 783 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 2g | |
| Calories | 783kcal | 39% |
| Carbohydrates | 94g | 31% |
| Protein | 27g | 54% |
| Fat | 33g | 51% |
| Saturated Fat | 13g | 65% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 3g | 18% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 15g | 75% |
| Cholesterol | 51mg | 17% |
| Sodium | 1595mg | 66% |
| Potassium | 677mg | 14% |
| Fiber | 6g | 24% |
| Sugar | 8g | 16% |
| Vitamin A | 1652IU | 33% |
| Vitamin C | 27mg | 30% |
| Calcium | 401mg | 40% |
| Iron | 3mg | 17% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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