Friday Fuel: Green Pesto Pasta

I don’t know about you, but the colder months have me craving pasta and warm hearty meals. 

Today I am sharing my green, creamy, incredibly flavorful pesto sauce that I like to call Popeye’s Pesto! Packed full of spinach, it's rich and filling but delicate and doesn’t leave you feeling heavy or full. Cashews make it taste creamy. The spinach, garlic and basil add fiber, nutrition and protein. It’s a plant-based (no dairy, meat or eggs), heart-healthy pasta dish that will have you coming back for seconds without the guilt. 

Gluten-free capellini is a thin rice flour noodle which works great with this sauce. However, feel free to use whatever noodles you have on hand. Kids will enjoy this pasta, too, if they can get past the green color. Feel free to call it Popeye’s Pesto, that will usually do the trick. 

Creamy Spinach Pesto Pasta

Yields 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

• ½ cup cashews
• 1 cup olive oil
• 5 cloves raw garlic, peeled
• ½ cup nutritional yeast
• ½ Tbsp sea salt
• ⅓ cup unsweetened oat milk
• 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
• 2 cups packed spinach leaves
• 1 package gluten-free capellini pasta noodles

 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 
2. Place cashews on a baking sheet. Bake cashews for about 8 minutes (you will want to keep checking on them) until they are golden brown. Set aside. Let cool completely before making the sauce. 
3. Cook noodles according to the package directions. 
4. Add the rest of the ingredients into a high speed blender. Blend on high until totally green and well blended and smooth.
5. Pour green spinach sauce over cooked noodles. Serve warm and immediately.
6. Garnish with parmesan cheese and fresh parsley. 

Enjoy!