Green Goddess Pasta Sauce (Print Version)

A creamy blend of fresh herbs and greens delivering a vibrant and flavorful twist to pasta.

# What You'll Need:

→ Greens & Herbs

01 - 2 cups packed baby spinach
02 - 1 cup chopped green cabbage
03 - 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
04 - 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
05 - 1/4 cup fresh chives
06 - 1/4 cup fresh tarragon (optional)

→ Vegetables

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

→ Dairy

10 - 1/2 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream
11 - 1/4 cup mayonnaise
12 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

→ Liquids & Acidity

13 - 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
14 - 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
15 - 1/4 cup olive oil

→ Seasoning

16 - 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
17 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
18 - Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

→ Pasta

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

# How to Make It:

01 - Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain pasta.
02 - In a blender or food processor, combine spinach, cabbage, parsley, basil, chives, tarragon (if using), garlic, green onions, avocado, Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, Parmesan, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, and black pepper.
03 - Blend ingredients until smooth and creamy, scraping sides as needed. Gradually add reserved pasta water, one tablespoon at a time, until the sauce reaches a pourable consistency.
04 - Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning with additional salt, pepper, or lemon juice to preference.
05 - Toss the hot, drained pasta with the sauce until evenly coated.
06 - Plate immediately, optionally garnishing with extra fresh herbs and Parmesan cheese.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • Ready in 25 minutes, with most of that time spent just boiling water and waiting for pasta.
  • Packed with fresh herbs and greens but creamy enough to feel indulgent, hitting that perfect balance between healthy and deeply satisfying.
  • Naturally adaptable to whatever herbs and vegetables you have on hand, so it works with your farmer's market haul, not against it.
02 -
  • Don't skip the lemon juice or use bottled—fresh squeezed is the difference between bright and dull, and it's the flavor that makes people ask what your secret is.
  • If your sauce breaks or looks separated, add an ice cube and pulse it in your blender, which emulsifies everything back together and is a trick I learned after one too many failed batches.
03 -
  • Reserve pasta water before you drain—that starchy liquid is the difference between sauce that clings to pasta and sauce that just sits at the bottom of the bowl.
  • Use truly fresh herbs from the farmer's market or your garden if you can, because dried herbs make this sauce taste like old paper instead of spring.
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