Easy Spinach Pesto Pasta

Easy spinach pesto pasta, made with a fresh pesto full of spinach with hints of basil and lemon. Healthy recipe that comes together in about 30 minutes.

Ingredients

For the spinach pesto:

• 1/2 cup raw cashews (you could also try toasted pine nuts, walnuts, etc.)
  
• 6 cups loosely packed spinach leaves (6 oz.)
• 1 small bunch basil (0.75 oz.) thick stems removed
• 1/4 cup plain almond milk
• 1/2 lemon juiced
• 1/2 tsp salt
• pepper to taste

For the spinach pesto pasta:

• 8 oz pasta shells (or any shape but whole wheat for healthy)
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 yellow onion (or 1 shallot), diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 cup reserved pasta water

Instructions

Make the pasta:

1. Bring a pot of generously salted water to a boil, and cook your pasta according to package directions. Drain it, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Do not rinse.

Make the spinach pesto:

1. Add the cashews to your food processor and pulse a few times until crumbled.
2. Add the spinach, basil, nondairy milk, lemon juice, salt, and pepper, and continue to pulse, stopping to stir and scrape the sides if needed, until the spinach and basil are finely chopped.
3. Add more lemon juice to taste if desired, and set aside.

Put the finishing touches on the spinach pesto pasta:

1. In a large pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion or shallot and a sprinkle of salt. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and browning slightly. (Note: to save time, you can begin this step while the pasta is still cooking).
2. Add the garlic and cook for just about 60 seconds more, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is fragrant.
3. Add the cooked pasta, reserved pasta water, and pesto and fold everything together gently. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce has thickened slightly and clings to the pasta, and is warm throughout. Remove from the heat and adjust seasoning to taste. Serve warm. The pasta is best eaten immediately; fold in a light drizzle of olive oil before storing leftovers and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.