Green Pasta With High-Protein Pistachio Sauce
Why This Pistachio Sauce Will Be Your New Favorite
This vibrant green pasta is all about the creamy, protein-packed pistachio sauce that steals the show. Fresh spinach, sweet peas, and aromatic basil blend with pistachios, garlic, lemon, and nutritional yeast to create a sauce that’s silky, glossy, and full of flavor. Tossed spinach pasta, it coats every noodle in a luscious, nutty creaminess. Quick to make and packed with nutrients, it’s a weeknight dinner that feels indulgent yet wholesome. Garnish with crushed pistachios and fresh basil for a stunning, shareable dish.
Table of Contents
Why This Pistachio Sauce Will Be Your New Favorite
Ingredients You’ll Need
Making the Creamy, Protein-Packed Pistachio Sauce
Tossing It With Pasta & Greens Perfectly
Storage & Meal Prep
Ingredients You’ll Need
Pasta
Pasta (rigatoni, orecchiette, or spaghetti)
Salt (for pasta water)
High-Protein Pistachio Sauce
1 cup peas (fresh or frozen, thawed)
2 cups fresh spinach
1 packed cup fresh basil
1/3 cup pistachios
1–2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 medium garlic clove
Zest + juice of ½ lemon
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼–½ cup warm pasta water
Salt + black pepper to taste
Making the Creamy, Protein-Packed Pistachio Sauce
Prep the greens and pistachios: Blanch the peas and spinach quickly, then drain and squeeze out excess water. This keeps the sauce bright and smooth.
Build the sauce base: Add the peas, spinach, basil, pistachios, garlic, nutritional yeast, and lemon zest to a blender or food processor. Pulse until mostly smooth, leaving a little texture.
Add the olive oil in batches: With the blender running, slowly stream in the olive oil until the sauce becomes creamy and glossy.
4. Adjust the texture: Gradually add warm pasta water, ¼–½ cup, until the sauce is silky, pourable, and coats a spoon.
5. Season and finish: Add lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste. Blend briefly to combine, then taste and adjust for brightness, saltiness, or thickness.
Look at HER!
Tossing It With Pasta & Greens Perfectly
Combine pasta and sauce off heat: Add the drained, al dente pasta to a large bowl or the pot you cooked it in. Pour in the pistachio sauce.
Toss gently but thoroughly: Use tongs or a large spoon to toss the pasta until every noodle is coated with the creamy sauce. If the sauce feels too thick, add a splash of the reserved pasta water to loosen it.
Final taste check: Taste a bite of pasta and adjust seasoning as needed. More salt for depth, more lemon juice for brightness, or a touch more pasta water for extra silkiness.
Serve: Transfer to plates or a serving bowl, then drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle crushed pepper, lemon zest, and finish with fresh basil for a vibrant and aromatic finish.
Storage & Meal Prep
Store the sauce separately: Keep any leftover pistachio sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4–5 days. It may thicken slightly, just whisk in a splash of warm water or olive oil before using.
Meal prep made easy: Cook pasta in advance and store it dry or lightly tossed with a bit of olive oil. When ready to eat, reheat gently and toss with sauce and greens. This keeps the noodles from sticking and preserves the fresh flavor of the sauce.
Freeze for later: The sauce freezes well for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and stir well before using.
If you make our Green Pasta With High-Protein Pistachio Sauce, love for you to leave a comment or share a rating! I always enjoy reading your thoughts. Don’t forget to share your creations on Instagram, TikTok, or Pinterest using #victoriasearthkitchen I can’t get enough of seeing your beautiful dishes come to life. If you love this recipe, be sure to check out some of my other favorite vegetable-forward dishes on the blog for more inspiration.
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