Creamy Spinach Walnut Pasta (Printable Version)

Plant-based pasta featuring fresh spinach and toasted walnuts in a creamy, vibrant sauce. Quick, nutritious, and completely dairy-free.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz dried pasta (spaghetti, penne, or preferred shape)

→ Sauce

02 - 1 cup raw walnuts
03 - 4 cups fresh baby spinach, packed
04 - 1 cup unsweetened plant-based milk (oat, soy, or almond)
05 - 2 garlic cloves
06 - 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
07 - 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
08 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
09 - 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
10 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
11 - Pinch of ground nutmeg, optional

→ Garnish

12 - Extra toasted walnuts, chopped
13 - Freshly ground black pepper
14 - Lemon zest, optional

# How To Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water, then drain pasta in colander.
02 - While pasta cooks, toast walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant and golden. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
03 - In a high-speed blender or food processor, combine toasted walnuts (reserve some for garnish), spinach, plant-based milk, garlic, nutritional yeast, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and nutmeg if using. Blend until completely smooth and creamy, scraping sides as needed.
04 - Taste sauce and adjust seasoning as necessary. Add more milk for a thinner consistency or more nutritional yeast for enhanced savory depth.
05 - Return drained pasta to pot. Pour spinach walnut sauce over pasta and toss to coat evenly. Add reserved pasta water gradually to achieve desired silky, creamy consistency.
06 - Divide pasta among serving bowls. Garnish with chopped toasted walnuts, freshly ground black pepper, and lemon zest if desired. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The sauce comes together in your blender while the pasta boils, so dinner is ready before you can finish tidying the kitchen.
  • It tastes indulgent and rich, but it is made entirely from plants and feels surprisingly light after you eat it.
  • Leftovers taste even better the next day when the flavors have had time to settle and deepen.
  • You can sneak an entire bag of spinach into one meal without anyone noticing a thing.
02 -
  • Do not skip toasting the walnuts because raw ones will make the sauce taste flat and slightly bitter instead of rich and nutty.
  • Always reserve some pasta water before draining because plain water will not help the sauce cling the way that starchy, salty pasta water does.
  • Blend the sauce longer than you think you need to because any little walnut bits left behind will make the texture grainy instead of velvety.
03 -
  • If your blender is struggling to get the sauce smooth, add the plant-based milk a little at a time instead of all at once so the blades can catch everything.
  • Taste your nutritional yeast before adding it because some brands are saltier or more pungent than others, and you might need to adjust the amount.
  • Let the toasted walnuts cool for a minute before blending so they do not warm up the spinach and turn the sauce dull instead of bright green.
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