Ready in 30 minutes and packed full of leafy greens, this creamy green goddess pasta is a healthy, high-fiber, and veggie-loaded meal that is a quick and easy meal idea the whole family will love.
If you like green goddess dressing, you’re going to love this green goddess pasta recipe. Not only is it incredibly simple to make, but it creates a rich, creamy, and flavorful pasta sauce without much effort.
While a traditional green goddess dressing is made with mayonnaise, sour cream, or Greek yogurt, I opted to use crumbled feta cheese instead to add a boost of protein and some healthy fats to the pasta. But the best part is, this recipe can also be served as green goddess pasta salad if desired. Simply prepare the noodles and sauce as per directions, allow both to cool completely, then mix and toss until well combined before serving.
Why You’ll Love It
- Quick + Easy – Ready in x minutes, this recipe is perfect for a healthy weeknight dinner.
- Full of Veggies – The combination of leafy greens and mixed herbs ensures this green goddess pasta sauce is full of fiber and micronutrients.
- Kid-Friendly – This creamy pasta is a healthy recipe that the whole family can enjoy and a great way to get your kids to eat more veggies.
Ingredients + Substitutions
- Pasta – You can use any cut of pasta you like. I opted for regular short-cut pasta, fusilli specifically, but you can use a long pasta shape or whole wheat pasta if preferred.
- Spinach – To add some leafy greens and micronutrients to pasta sauce. The recipe calls for fresh spinach, but you can use frozen spinach if needed, see the notes section of the recipe card for details.
- Fresh Herbs – To add flavor and micronutrients to the green goddess pasta sauce. I opted to use fresh basil and parsley because I think they provide the best flavor combination, but any combination or ratio of cilantro, parsley, basil, dill, tarragon, chives, and/or mint will work.
- Onion + Garlic – To add flavor and fragrance to the sauce. The recipe calls for whole onion and garlic cloves but garlic powder and onion powder will also work, see the notes section of the recipe card for details.
- White Beans – To add some plant-based protein and fiber. I used white kidney beans, also known as cannellini beans, but any white beans will work.
- Feta Cheese – To make the sauce creamy and add some more protein and healthy fats. Feta cheese is one of the highest protein cheeses and provides a salty bite, but ricotta cheese and cottage cheese will also work well.
- Green Peas – To add some veggies.
- Olive Oil – To sauté the veggies and add some healthy fats.
- Lemon Juice – To balance the sauce.
- Salt + Pepper – To season.
Dietary Adaptions
To Make it Gluten-Free: Use certified gluten-free pasta.
To Make it Dairy-Free: Swap the feta cheese for 1/2 cup of coconut milk.
Red’s Nutrition Tip
I opted to use regular pasta in this recipe, as I prefer the texture and taste, but you can whole wheat pasta if you want to add a bit more fiber and fat. While whole wheat pasta is often considered the “healthier” option, regular and whole wheat pasta are much closer in nutritional value than most people think and, therefore, both can be included in a healthy diet.
Serving Suggestions
This recipe is a good source of complex carbohydrates, fiber, and healthy fats; however, it contains limited protein. If you want to make it a more well-balanced meal, I recommend serving it with a source of plant or animal protein, such as tofu, chicken, or steak.
You can also increase the vegetable content by adding some steamed or sautéed broccoli, bell pepper, or cherry tomatoes to the cooked pasta.
Storage + Reheating
To Refrigerate: Allow the pasta to cool completely, transfer it to an airtight container, and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days.
To Freeze: Once cooled, transfer the pasta to an airtight container and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To Reheat: Allow the pasta to thaw completely before reheating. To reheat the pasta on the stovetop, place the pasta in a pan on medium heat with 1-2 tablespoons of water, stirring gently, until the water has been absorbed and the pasta is warmed through. To reheat the pasta in the microwave, place the pasta in a microwave-safe container with 1-2 tablespoons of water and reheat for 2-3 minutes, stirring every minute or so, until the water has been absorbed and the pasta is warmed through.
More Healthy Pasta Recipes:
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Green Goddess Pasta
Learn how to turn green goddess dressing into a rich and creamy pasta sauce with this 30-minute green goddess pasta recipe.
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Prep Time: 10 minutes -
Cook Time: 20 minutes
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Total Time: 30 minutes
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Yield: 6 servings 1x
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Category: Dinner
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Method: Stovetop
Prep Time:
Yield:
Category:
Method:Ingredients
- 1 pound short-cut pasta, such as fusilli or penne
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, minced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can (14 ounces) white beans, strained and rinsed
- 1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 cups spinach
- 1/2 cup fresh basil
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 pinch black pepper
- 1 cup frozen green peas (optional)
- Parmesan cheese, to serve (optional)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil, add the pasta, reduce to a very gentle simmer, and cook to al dente or as per package directions. While the pasta is cooking, scoop out 1 cup of pasta water and set it aside.
- Optional: With 3 minutes remaining on the pasta, add the frozen peas to the pot and stir to combine. Once the pasta is cooked, drain the water, and set the noodle and pea mixture aside.
- In a large pan, warm the olive oil on medium-high heat, add diced onion, and cook for 4-5 minutes until tender, then add minced garlic and cook for an additional minute until fragrant.
- Add the chopped spinach to the pan and cook for an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute, stirring occasionally, until all of the spinach is bright green and wilted, then remove from the heat.
- In a blender or food processor, add the strained white beans, sautéed onion, garlic, and spinach, feta, basil, parsley, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and 1/2 cup of the reserve pasta water, and blend until a smooth sauce forms. Add additional pasta water to thin the sauce as needed and season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
- Once the pasta is cooked and drained, return it to the pot you cooked it in, pour the green goddess sauce on top, and gently stir it together until well combined and the pasta is well coated in sauce, adding splashes of the reserved pasta water to loosen it up only as needed.
- The green goddess pasta can be served immediately with freshly grated parmesan cheese and fresh basil or cooled and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
To Use Frozen Spinach: Thaw 1/3 cup of frozen spinach, press out as much water as possible, and add it to the recipe as per step #4 to warm it and remove any excess water.
To Use Onion Powder: Swap the onion for 1 teaspoon of onion powder and add it in step #4.
To Use Garlic Powder: Swap the garlic cloves for 2 teaspoons of garlic powder and add it in step #4.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 468 calories
- Sugar: 6 grams
- Fat: 12 grams
- Carbohydrates: 72 grams
- Fiber: 7 grams
- Protein: 18 grams
Hi Stephanie, what brand of fusilli do youbuse? It always looks so good!
Great question! I use Rommo often, it’s found at most major grocery store chains. 🙂
Delicious, healthy and filling – loved it. The lemon juice really makes it.
Thanks for sharing, Casey!
So easy and so tasty! The sauce is super creamy and my kids loved it – didn’t even notice it was full of spinach.
Thanks for sharing!
Fabulous meal very tasty and filling would recommend you try it you won’t be disappointed
Thanks for sharing, Susan!
The Green Goddess pasta came together easily and was delicious and nutritious:-). Thanks!
Thanks, Jenn!
Delicious, quick & easy recipe