I have been craving pasta lately but I was sick and tired of my go-to tomato based ground turkey sauce. It’s delicious but I wanted something more luxurious. However, as delicious as they are, rich, creamy pastas make me feel like absolute garbage. So what’s a girl to do?

Cream your greens! You heard me. I said: Cream. Your. GREENS.

We’ve all had the classic steakhouse steakhouse creamed spinach with enough butter and cream to sink a ship. But what if we turned it into a healthier version and used it as a pasta sauce? Brilliant. 

I don’t know about you but I often buy massive bags of spinach or greens at Costco and then it’s a scramble to finish the whole thing before it turns to slime. This is a great way to use up a ton of spinach and make something so healthy and delicious that others will be green with envy!

Here is my simple creamy spinach pasta sauce recipe. 

Ingredients 

1 TBSP olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 shallot or half an onion, chopped
1/4 cup cream cheese (optional)
1 cup unsweetened oat milk (or other milk)
pinch of nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
juice from half a lemon
several large handfuls of greens (spinach, baby kale, collard greens etc.)
parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast 
Pasta of choice

Directions

1. In a large pot or deep pan, heat oil over medium heat. 
2. Add diced onion and let soften. 2-3 minutes.
3. Add garlic. If it starts to brown, turn the heat down.
4.   If using, add room temperature cream cheese and let melt
5. Add oat milk, salt, pepper an nutmeg. Let simmer for 5-7 minutes.
6. Add greens and stir until wilted. Let simmer for 1-2 minutes.
7. Let mixture cool slightly before transferring to a blender or food processor. Blend on high until nice and smooth. 
8. Cook whatever pasta you’re using. When it’s al dente, reserve a cup of pasta water before draining. 
9. Combine pasta and green sauce, adding pasta water if it seems to thick. Heat over very low heat until everything is hot enough and pasta is coated.
10. Add lemon to taste
11. Serve immediately, topping with parmesan or nutritional yeast and more salt and pepper if need be. You can also add some herbs or red pepper flakes if that tickles your fancy.
12. Stick your fork in and enjoy!

And just like that. A creamy, delicious pasta sauce that bursting with flavour and nutrients. You can make this completely vegan if you’d like by omitting the cream cheese and parmesan. I used Silk oat milk, not because I’m vegan, but because I feel like it adds a richer texture and slight sweetness to the sauce. Dairy milk would work here too. Unsweetened almond milk in a pinch, but it wouldn’t be quite as velvety and decadent. 

You could also top this with some grilled chicken or garlic shrimp. Speaking of garlic, I bought this delicious garlic oil with bits of crunch garlic called “Garlic Gold” from Costco and I’ve been putting it on everything. It’s nice on this pasta! 

If you’re looking for a comforting meal with a pop of colour, cream your greens tonight. You won’t be disappointed! If you are, then at least you tried something new and learned what you don’t like.

Eat this and shut up, beauties!

Love, Julia