Cooking should be easy and FUN, in my humble opinion! I was craving greens and pasta a few days after the 2024 Chevron Houston Marathon, so this recipe was born from “that sounds good and it’s in my fridge/freezer”!
For those who aren’t in the Knoxville area and aren’t aware – we had the largest snowfall this week since 1996! I’ve been trapped inside and am starting to feel a bit stir crazy. Since I’m recovering from the marathon and not running this week (the weather honestly timed up well for me), I had to have a creative outlet somewhere. Sometimes the tastiest, most delish meals come when you have to use some creativity.
This dinner is packed with veggies but feels indulgent AND can be made in under 30 minutes. Give it a try!
Ingredients (serves 2)
For the pasta
- 1 box Banza rigatoni pasta
- 1/2 zucchini
- 1/2 yellow squash
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
For the sauce
- 1/2 c water
- 1/2 c veggie broth
- 1/2 c frozen spinach
- 1/2 c frozen kale
- 1 c arugula
- 1/2 c frozen peas
- 1/4 c raw cashews, soaked
- 2 cloves of roasted garlic
- 1/2 avocado
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Directions
- Bring water in a pot to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions.
- While your pasta is cooking, wash, coin and sauté the zucchini and yellow squash in extra virgin olive oil.
- Next, make your sauce. Combine all sauce ingredients in a high-powered blender and blend on high until smooth and creamy.
- Drain and rinse the pasta, and add to the saucepan with your sautéed veggies.
- Pour the sauce in the saucepan and simmer for a few minutes.
- Serve and top with coarse sea salt and cracked black pepper.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- For the sauce, I listed what I used (frozen vs. fresh) simply because that’s what I had on hand. You can absolutely swap the types of greens or use fresh or frozen to your convenience.
- Pro tip – if you’re going out of town and don’t want to waste the greens in your fridge, wash them, let them air dry, and freeze them. Then use them in smoothies, soups, or sauces!
- Soaked cashews blend and digest more easily, but if you’re in a time crunch don’t sweat it!
- I’m planning to try this recipe with various sautéed veggies – like broccolini, asparagus, and onion – tossed in. This is just what I had in the fridge during a mini blizzard in Knox! Use what you have or what you like best!
What variations did you make to this Easy Eat Your Greens Pasta?! Let me know below or on Instagram @healthbyhaven. I love seeing when you make my recipes, and it’s super fun to see your own personal flair mixed in!
