Green Goddess Pasta Sauce (Printable View)

Creamy herb sauce combining fresh greens and aromatic herbs for vibrant pasta flavor in under 30 minutes.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Greens & Herbs

01 - 2 cups packed baby spinach
02 - 1 cup chopped green cabbage
03 - ½ cup fresh parsley leaves
04 - ½ cup fresh basil leaves
05 - ¼ cup fresh chives
06 - ¼ cup fresh tarragon (optional)

→ Vegetables

07 - 2 cloves garlic
08 - 2 green onions, chopped
09 - 1 small avocado, peeled and pitted

→ Dairy

10 - ½ cup Greek yogurt or sour cream
11 - ¼ cup mayonnaise
12 - ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

→ Liquids & Acidity

13 - 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
14 - 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
15 - ¼ cup olive oil

→ Seasoning

16 - ½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
17 - ¼ teaspoon black pepper
18 - Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

→ Pasta

19 - 12 oz dried pasta (linguine, spaghetti, or penne)

# How To Make It:

01 - Boil salted water in a large pot and cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
02 - Combine spinach, cabbage, parsley, basil, chives, tarragon (if using), garlic, green onions, avocado, Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, Parmesan, lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and black pepper in a blender or food processor.
03 - Process the mixture until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as needed. Add reserved pasta water gradually, 1 tablespoon at a time, to achieve a pourable consistency.
04 - Taste and amend seasoning with additional salt, pepper, or lemon juice to balance flavors.
05 - Toss the hot, drained pasta with the prepared sauce until evenly coated.
06 - Serve immediately, garnished with extra herbs and Parmesan if desired.

# Best Practices:

01 -
  • It tastes indulgent and rich while being surprisingly light and fresh, making you feel good about what you're eating.
  • The whole thing comes together in less time than it takes to cook the pasta, so weeknight dinners just got a whole lot easier.
  • Every herb in your garden or grocery bag actually matters here, so you finally get to use all that fresh basil before it goes bad.
02 -
  • Don't blend the sauce more than a few minutes before eating, or the herbs will start to darken and lose their fresh flavor—make it as close to serving time as you can.
  • If the sauce separates or looks broken after blending, don't panic; adding a splash of pasta water and stirring will bring it back together.
03 -
  • Don't throw away your herb stems if they're tender; they blend just as smoothly as the leaves and add flavor, so waste nothing.
  • If you're serving this cold as a pasta salad, add the sauce to warm pasta first, then chill everything together so the flavors meld as it cools.
Go Back