Delicious and healthy, this creamy green spaghetti sauce gives you all your greens for the day! Stir into your pasta for a cosy comfort food dinner that comes together in around 30 minutes.
Pasta is always a good idea for a comfort food dinner! So simple to make, you can easily make a healthy sauce with lots of vegetables, herbs and spices. Perhaps you would also like to try out my spring broccoli asparagus pasta or my flavourful coriander pesto pasta. Both easy and delicious!
This green pasta sauce is packed with healthy vegetables, but made without avocado or spinach. Instead we use broccoli and zucchini, as well as kale for some leafy greens, to get all those vitamins. Combined with creamy ricotta it's cosy and indulgent, and the perfect healthy comfort food.
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⭐ Why this recipe is so good
All the green vitamins! We use green vegetables and lots of herbs in this pasta sauce for a super healthy and flavourful recipe.
Stovetop recipe. No need to switch the oven on, we simply use a skillet and blender to make this sauce.
Quick and easy to make. A super simple recipe that comes together easily, and in just 30 minutes.
🥦 Ingredients
All the ingredients and their quantities are set out in the recipe card below.
Some notes on a few of them:
- Green vegetables - always use fresh produce, without any bruising or discolouration.
- Spaghetti - choose a gluten free version if required.
- Parsley and coriander - for a bright and flavourful sauce, I suggest using fresh herbs.
📖 Swaps and variations
Adjust the ratio of vegetables. Love broccoli but not so much of a fan of zucchini? Simply change up the ratio a little to preference, just keeping the same overall quantity.
Use a different pasta. If you don't have spaghetti to hand you can easily make a green pasta sauce with other types such as penne or fusilli.
Swap fresh herbs for dried. I do suggest using fresh herbs as they have a much more fresh and bright taste, but dried herbs can be used in a pinch.
Use basil rather than coriander. Not a fan of coriander / cilantro? Swap out for fragrant basil instead.
⏲️ Equipment needed
Skillet - to cook the vegetables.
Blender - to bend the vegetables into a sauce. I use a Nutribullet, and you will need to use a large blender cup for this recipe.
Tongs - to transfer the spaghetti. Better than using fingers!
🔪 Step by step instructions
We make this green spaghetti sauce in a skillet and blender, so no oven time! Just a few steps, making it perfect for a busy weeknight dinner:
Step 1
Drizzle a little olive oil into your skillet, then add the onion, leek and garlic. Fry on a low heat for 4-5 minutes, or until the onion has softened (image 1).
Step 2
Add the broccoli, zucchini and kale to the skillet, along with the apple cider vinegar if using (image 2). Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Recipe tip: using a non-stick skillet is better for this recipe.
Step 3
Cook your spaghetti according to packet instructions, adding a pinch of salt to the water (image 3). Once ready drain in a colander, but reserve half a cup of the pasta water.
Step 4
Add all the ingredients for the green sauce to your blender and blend to a sauce (image 4). Add ⅛ cup of pasta water, then blend and adjust with more of the water to a consistency you prefer (I use about ¼ cup).
Step 5
Tip the spaghetti back into your skillet and pour in the sauce. Use tongs to mix the pasta with the sauce, then plate up with extra fresh herbs as a garnish if you wish. Serve immediately.
💭 Recipe notes and tips
- Salt the pasta water. Add a pinch of water to your pot when cooking the pasta to add flavour.
- Don't forget to reserve some pasta water! You will need this to thin the sauce but also to help it bind through the starch in the water.
- Adjust the consistency of the sauce to preference. Blend a little for a more chunky sauce, more for a smoother consistency.
📋 Frequently asked questions
Definitely! You can use any green vegetables that are suitable for you, such as asparagus or green pepper. Just keep the overall quantity about the same.
Basil is also delicious in the sauce, as well as a little thyme. I would suggest only using a small amount of rosemary as it is quite pungent.
This green spaghetti sauce can also be used as a salad dressing, or even a dip with crudites or crackers.
🍽 How to serve
You can either serve the spaghetti as it is, or make some additions:
- Add chicken, turkey or other meat or fish protein to the side. My easy panko chicken and my turmeric turkey would both be lovely with this spaghetti!
- Serve with a fresh and light salad such as my kale apple slaw or pear fennel salad.
- Top with some cheese of your choice.
🍝 More pasta recipes
Whether it is my roasted vegetable pasta salad for summer potlucks, or my vegan pumpkin alfredo for fall, find so many tasty pasta dishes! Some recent recipes:
I'm always in the kitchen, so come join me on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to be the first to hear of new recipes! And please do leave a star rating ⭐ if you have tried the recipe!
📖 Recipe
Green Spaghetti Sauce
Ingredients
- 8 oz spaghetti or other pasta
For the green spaghetti sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ white onion diced
- 1 leek diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced or finely diced
- ½ small broccoli head diced
- 1 small zucchini diced
- 1 cup kale loosely packed, diced
- ¼ cup coriander diced
- ¼ cup parsley leaves
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar optional
- ½ cup ricotta cheese
- pinch salt
- pinch black pepper optional
Instructions
- Fry onion, garlic and leeks in olive oil in your skillet for 4-5 minutes, or until the onion has softened.
- Add in the zucchini, kale and broccoli, along with the apple cider vinegar, if using. Cook for 15 minutes, or until the broccoli has softened. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
- While the sauce is coming together cook the spaghetti according to packet instructions. Set aside ½ cup of the pasta water. Once cooked, drain the spaghetti in a colander.
- Add all the ingredients for the sauce to a blender, along with ⅛ cup of pasta water. Blend, and adjust with more pasta water until you have the consistency you like.
- Transfer the spaghetti back into the skillet, along with the sauce. Stir to coat the spaghetti in the sauce. Serve garnished with fresh herbs and extra black pepper, to taste.
Notes
- Don't forget to salt the pasta water for better flavour.
- Make sure to reserve some of the pasta water as you will need this to make the sauce.
- Adjust the amount of herbs and garlic to taste preference.
- Please note that nutritional information is offered as a courtesy. It is auto-generated and should be understood to be an estimate.
- pasta (wheat) scores 1 with a ? as a liberator. You can use an alternative gluten free pasta if required.
- kale is not rated.
- leeks score 1 with a ? as a liberator. There is a note, 'In small amounts, usually well tolerated'.
- garlic and apple cider vinegar, which score 1.
- coriander, which scores 0 but has a ? as a liberator. There is a note, 'Only small amounts are well tolerated'.
- black pepper, which scores 2. There is a note, 'Small amounts are tolerated'.
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