This vegan spinach pasta is made with a rich and creamy dairy-free sauce with hints of garlic and basil. It’s deliciously comforting and so easy to make!
Spinach isn’t always my favorite green. I love my greens, but I’m one of those weirdos who usually prefers solid greens like kale and chard. But, I love my spinach when it’s paired with a creamy sauce, like my Vegan Creamed Spinach or Vegan Saag Paneer.
Keeping in mind my love for the combination of spinach and creamy sauce, I went and made this vegan spinach pasta recipe. It’s so creamy! The sauce is as close to what you can get with a vegan fettuccine alfredo with a touch of basil and lots of spinach.
The dish is deliciously comforting and surprisingly easy to make.
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Ingredients you will need
- dry pasta The recipe calls for fettuccine pasta, which I think works especially well with this sauce, but you can use any pasta shape you like. Spaghetti, fusilli, penne and linguine are all great options! You can make the whole dish gluten-free by using gluten-free pasta.
- raw cashews They are the base of our creamy sauce. Make sure they are raw (not fried) so they blend super creamy and taste just right.
- Water.
- Lemon juice. Make sure you use freshly squeezed juice for the perfect tangy taste.
- garlic
- Salt pepper.
- Fresh mint.
- Frozen spinach. Using frozen spinach makes this dish super easy to whip up, since it’s pre-cooked. You can use fresh spinach if you roll this way. Use the amount specified in the recipe, chop it finely and steam or boil it until completely dry before using it.
- Vegan Parmesan Cheese. It’s optional, but vegan spinach is great for topping pasta. Feel free to use store-bought or homemade vegan perms.
- Stay red pepper. If you want to add a little kick to the dish, just use these.
How is it made?
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. If you want to skip the recipe, scroll all the way down!
Begin by boiling your pasta according to package directions. Be sure to save about a cup of water as you drain it. We will use it later.
Suggestion: Try to time it so the pasta is done at the same time the sauce is ready, so it’s still hot. It should be pretty easy to whip up the sauce quickly!
Place the soaked raw cashews, water, lemon juice, garlic, salt and basil in the bowl of a blender or food processor.
Blend everything until the mixture is smooth.
Tip: It may take a few minutes to fully blend the sauce, especially if you don’t have a high-powered blending device. Please be patient.
Make sure your frozen spinach is thawed, then squeeze out as much excess water as possible. Add to blender with cashew cream.
Blend until the spinach is nicely incorporated into the sauce. The mixture will be very thick.
After draining your cooked pasta, return it to the pot, add the creamy spinach sauce. It will probably be a bit thicker. No problem! Thin it out with some of the pasta cooking water you reserved. Stir everything.
Suggestion: Pasta cooking water is ideal for thinning the sauce in recipes like this, because the dissolved starch helps it bond with the pasta. But if you forget to save some pasta water, just use fresh water. No big deal!
Season your vegetarian spinach pasta with more salt, if desired, as well as some black pepper. Serve with a sprinkle of vegan Parmesan cheese and some red pepper flakes.
Remaining and storage
Leftover spinach will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 3 days. It can be reheated in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stove. The sauce dries out and is absorbed by the noodles over time, so you may want to thin it with a bit of water when reheating.
More vegan pasta recipes
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Creamy Vegan Spinach Pasta
This vegan spinach pasta is made with a rich and creamy dairy-free sauce with hints of garlic and basil. It’s deliciously comforting and so easy to make!
material
-
12
ounce
Dried fettuccine pasta
(or dry pasta of choice) -
1
the cup
raw cashews,
Soak in water for 4 to 8 hours and drain -
1
the cup
the water -
2
table spoon
lemon juice -
2
cloves of garlic -
1 ½
teaspoon
salt,
or taste (Note 1) -
½
the cup
fresh basil leaves,
Packed -
10
ounce
frozen spinach,
to melt -
bell pepper,
to test
instructions
-
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain the pasta in a colander but reserve 1 cup of the cooking water. (Note 2)
-
While the pasta is boiling, place the cashews, water, lemon juice, garlic, salt and basil in a blender or the bowl of a food processor fitted with an S-blade. Blend the mixture until smooth.
-
Squeeze your thawed spinach well to remove any excess water, then add to a blender or food processor along with the cashew mixture. Blend until the spinach is evenly incorporated into the sauce. The mixture will thicken.
-
Return the pasta to the pot you cooked it in and add the sauce. Thin the sauce with the reserved pasta cooking water, adding as much as needed to achieve your desired consistency.
-
If the pasta gets too cold, place the pot over medium heat to reheat it, stirring constantly and adding more water if necessary.
-
Taste-test and season the pasta with additional salt to taste along with some black pepper.
-
Divide among plates and top with vegan parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes.
Recipe notes
- If you don’t like too much salt, start with 1 teaspoon and add more if needed after the pasta and sauce are combined.
- It will be used to thin the sauce after you add it to the pasta. This works especially well because it will dissolve some of the starch. Plain water can be used if you forget to save some of the pasta cooking water (it happens!).
nutrients
Creamy Vegan Spinach Pasta
No. per job
calories 533
158 calories from fat
% Daily Value*
thick 17.5 grams27%
3.5 grams of saturated fat18%
Sodium 942 mg39%
potassium 804 mg23%
carbohydrates 78 grams26%
5.4 grams of fiber22%
4.5 grams of sugar5%
protein 18.6 grams37%
calcium 114 mg11%
iron 7 mg39%
* Percent Daily Value is based on a 2000 calorie diet.