A vibrant, plant-based pasta dish featuring fresh spinach and toasted walnuts in a creamy, dairy-free sauce.
# What You'll Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 12 oz dried pasta (spaghetti, penne, or choice)
→ 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 lemon juice (approximately 1 lemon)
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:
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 the pasta.
02 - While pasta cooks, toast walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3–4 minutes, stirring often, until fragrant and golden. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
03 - In a high-speed blender or food processor, combine toasted walnuts (reserving a few 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 down the sides as needed.
04 - Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. Add more milk for a thinner sauce or more nutritional yeast for extra cheesiness.
05 - Return drained pasta to the pot. Pour spinach walnut sauce over pasta and toss to coat. Add reserved pasta water as needed to achieve a silky, creamy consistency.
06 - Serve immediately, garnished with extra chopped walnuts, freshly ground black pepper, and lemon zest if desired.
