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Creamy spinach and basil pesto pasta

abbietaylor7
Oct 3, 2023
3 min read

Updated: Nov 22, 2023

This quick and easy super fresh green spinach pesto style pasta is the perfect cheap meal but also makes a healthy lunch and great for an easy vegan meal prep.

Quick and easy super fresh creamy green spinach pesto style pasta.

I really love pesto pasta for a cheap tasty meal but sometimes the basil flavour can be rather strong so this recipe is for those that love the flavour of pesto but would like a milder version. The cashew nuts in this make the sauce lovely and creamy without all of the extra ingredients in a plant based cream. This really is a plant based delight that is fresh and healthy making you feel satisfied after eating. Homemade pesto is so quick and easy to make and ensures you know exactly what is going into it and that there’s no unnecessary added extra ingredients. This recipe is perfect if you don’t have much time to spare but want something homecooked and satisfying. You could add in your favourite protein and maybe some pre cooked green vegetables to bulk out this dish. And of course save some to take for lunch the next day!

Ingredients and substitutes to make the perfect lunch meal-

· Fusilli- The cheap and cheerful fusilli is the perfect vessel for this sauce, the spiral shape allows for the whole pasta piece to be covered in the sauce.

· Cashew nuts- Cashews are an amazing ingredient that bring a beautiful plant based creaminess to a dish without adding artificial cream. I use these in place of pine nuts also as they are cheaper than pine nuts.

· Basil- A small amount of basil will give this pasta that classic pesto flavour but combined with spinach the strong basil flavour will be weaker for those that find that basil can be overpowering.

· Spinach- Using spinach in this pasta is a great way to balance out the strong flavour of the basil and still keep that lovely vibrant green colour that lets face it makes us all feel like we are eating something very healthy! Fresh spinach must be used in this as frozen is too watery. Also throw in the stalks too- no waste here as it will all get blended anyway.

· Garlic- I used a really large garlic clove for this as I am definitely a garlic girl but feel free to add a small garlic clove if you don’t like garlic too much. You could also use garlic granules in this for an even milder garlic taste.

Top Tips!

Blender-

For this you'll need to use a high speed blender (at least 700w) that will be powerful enough to blitz the ingredients into a smooth lump free creamy sauce that cannot be achieved with a food processor (I use this one). However if you don’t have one you could food process or use a pestle and mortar however this will create a more lumpy traditional pesto type of sauce which is equally delicious.

And now for the recipe!

Creamy spinach and basil pesto pasta topped with a vegan parmesan alternative.

Serves- 3 Time- 15 minutes

Ingredients-

300g fusilli pasta
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 large garlic clove
50g cashew nuts
30g fresh basil
100g fresh spinach
50g vegan parmesan + more for topping

Method-

1. Get your pasta on to boil in salted water whilst you whip up your delicious spinach pesto.

2. Add the cashew nuts to the blender cup and blitz down to a crumb.

3. Add in the garlic, olive oil and basil and blitz again you may need to scrape down the sides as you go.

4. Now add in the spinach bit by bit and add water if needed to get the mixture blending easier.

5. Lastly add in the vegan parmesan and salt and blitz until a creamy consistency is reached.

6. Taste the sauce here and add more salt if needed.

7. Drain the pasta and add into a big mixing bowl along with the pesto sauce.

8. Mix really well ensuring all of the pasta is coated with the sauce.

9. Serve up with plenty of vegan parmesan on top and enjoy!

FAQ-

· Can this be reheated?- I love taking pesto pasta to work the next day, the oil in it allows it to reheat perfectly and continue to be moist however this pasta is also delicious cold. You could mix it with some protein and salad leaves for a gorgeous pasta salad!

· How long can I store this for?- this pasta can be kept in the fridge for up to 5 days so feel free to make a massive batch to meal prep for the week ahead. You can never eat too much pesto pasta!

Why not try these other pasta recipes?