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    Home » Pasta

    Green Goddess Pasta

    5 from 1 vote

    By Pina Bresciani ⁠— January 9, 2022 (updated August 24, 2025) — Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video
    Plate of green goddess pasta with little bowls of zucchini and spinach in the background

    This green goddess pasta includes cabbage, zucchini and shallots - it's then mixed with a delicious sauce made of spinach, basil, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice and nuts. All the delicious ingredients give this pasta dish a beautiful green color.

    I was inspired to make this pasta by Baked By Melissa's Green Goddess Salad. It's currently going viral on social media at the moment, so I thought, why not turn it into a pasta?! It has loads of delicious ingredients like cabbage, zucchini, and a delicious spinach and basil sauce (which is similar to pesto).

    And it turned out great! So now I want to share the recipe with you.

    Plate of green goddess pasta with little bowls of zucchini and spinach in the background

    Ingredients you'll need

    • Fusilli (or any short cut of pasta)
    • Cabbage
    • Zucchini
    • Shallots

    For the spinach and basil sauce/pesto:

    • Basil
    • Spinach
    • Garlic
    • Lemon juice
    • Parmigiano reggiano (or nutritional yeast)
    • Nuts (walnuts and cashews)
    • Olive oil
    • Salt

    Top tips

    • If you want to make this dish vegan, you can substitute the parmigiano for nutritional yeast
    • You can use any nuts you like for the sauce - pine nuts, pistachios, etc
    • Pasta to use: fusilli works very well but any short cut of pasta will do
    Green goddess pasta in a plate with a napkin to the side

    More vegetarian pasta recipes

    • Pasta With Ricotta And Tomato Sauce
    • Spinach Penne Pasta
    • Sun Dried Tomato Spaghetti

    If you’ve tried making this Green Goddess Pasta, or any other recipe on the blog please let me know what you thought of it in the comments below, I love hearing from you!

    Recipe

    Print Pin
    5 from 1 vote

    Green Goddess Pasta

    This green goddess pasta includes cabbage, zucchini and shallots - it's then mixed with a delicious sauce made of spinach, basil, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice and nuts. All the delicious ingredients give this pasta dish a beautiful green color.
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Italian
    Prep Time 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time 20 minutes minutes
    Servings 2 people
    Calories 1029kcal
    Author Pina Bresciani

    Ingredients

    • 200 grams fusilli pasta
    • 1 ½ cups green cabbage cut into small pieces
    • 1 cup zucchini cut into small pieces
    • 1 shallot cut into small pieces
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil

    For the spinach basil sauce/pesto

    • 1 cup spinach leaves packed tightly
    • 1 cup basil leaves packed tightly
    • ¼ cup + 2 tbsp olive oil
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
    • 1 garlic clove
    • ¼ cup walnuts and cashews
    • ⅓ cup parmigiano reggiano
    • pinch of salt

    Instructions

    Make the sauce

    • Add all the ingredients (with the olive oil at the bottom) to a blender and blend until fully combined to a sauce/pesto consistency.

    Cook the pasta

    • Bring a pot of water to a boil, add salt, and drop the fusilli in. Cook until it's before al dente (about 2-3 minutes before it's done cooking, remove it from the pot and place it into the pan with the cabbage/zucchini – it will finish cooking in the pan)
    • Once the fusilli are cooking, to a large pan that will fit the pasta over medium to medium-low heat, add the olive oil and once heated, add the shallots, cabbage and zucchini. Cook until tender, about 10 minutes.
    • By this time, the pasta should be ready. Add the pasta to the pan, and add about one ladle of pasta water. Mix everything together until pasta water is almost absorbed, a few minutes.
    • Remove the pan from the heat, and add the sauce to the pan. Mix until fully incorporated into the pasta.
    • Plate and top with additional parmigiano if desired. Enjoy!

    Recipe Video

    Recipe Notes

    • I used a lot less lemon juices than Melissa used in her original recipe - hers calls for the juice of 2 lemons, I used 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. The lemon flavor is very subtle in this pasta recipe, so if you'd like more lemon flavor, you can add more lemon juice. 
    • If you want to make this dish vegan, you can substitute the parmigiano for nutritional yeast
    • You can use any nuts you like for the sauce - pine nuts, pistachios, etc
    • Pasta to use: fusilli works very well but any short cut of pasta will do
     
    Nutrition Facts
    Green Goddess Pasta
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 1029 Calories from Fat 603
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 67g103%
    Saturated Fat 11g69%
    Cholesterol 11mg4%
    Sodium 303mg13%
    Potassium 729mg21%
    Carbohydrates 86g29%
    Fiber 7g29%
    Sugar 8g9%
    Protein 24g48%
    Vitamin A 2349IU47%
    Vitamin C 41mg50%
    Calcium 308mg31%
    Iron 4mg22%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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    My name is Pina and I love Italian food and culture! Here you'll find delicious Italian-inspired recipes with a fresh west coast spin. Buon Appetito! About Me

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