Pasta is a canvas, and the sauce is the masterpiece that brings it to life. If you’re looking to elevate your pasta game with a burst of umami and flavor, say hello to the vibrant and nutritious world of green pasta sauce. I am so happy you are here to learn about green pasta sauce because including the color green in our diet is so important for our health! The green color is an indication of chlorophyll in the food, which is an incredible antioxidant that detoxifies your body, makes your cells younger, and does much more! If you want to learn more about why you need to eat more leafy greens, read my blog post 😊 💚

A green pasta sauce recipe inspired by Korean cuisine

I’m here with the first recipe with a little Korean twist! This recipe I am going to share with you is inspired by Korean Kong-guksu, a noodle dish served in a soy milk broth. It is oh-so-creamy, savory, nutty, and even buttery. It is naturally and traditionally vegan, and beloved by many Koreans, especially during summertime. Many restaurants in Korea serve this dish during the summer season only. While this dish is already healthy as it is, if you know me, I am always looking for a way to step up the nutrition game.

This has become one of my favorite lunch recipes. This recipe checks off so many ingredients I want to include in my daily intake; greens, beans, nuts, and whole grains. One thing though, I like to have this as a cold pasta, not as a warm dish. Just like the Korean kong-guksu or pesto pasta from Italy that it resembles, this recipe is to make cold pasta. Let’s get into this simple yet delicious and nutritious recipe!

The green goodness: What makes green pasta sauce green?

Green pasta sauce gets its beautiful vibrant hue from a variety of nutrient-packed green ingredients. The most interesting and surprising ingredient in this recipe is the edamame. It’s the main ingredient that brings a beautiful light green color to the sauce and gives a nutty flavor. Together with some nuts in the recipe, this sauce is packed with protein! Therefore it makes you fit and keeps you full for a long time.

And of course, this recipe includes other leafy greens to make it even more green. I encourage you to try different greens in this recipe to see what you like the best. Also, each green has a different flavor so depending on which green you choose, it will have a completely different taste! Some of my choices include basil, spinach, carrot tops, and kale.

Health benefits of green ingredients

The greenery in the pasta sauce isn’t just for show – it’s a powerhouse of nutrients. Dark leafy greens are so rich in antioxidants, and bring essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber to the table. In fact, dark leafy greens are the most nutrient-dense category in food! Try this green pasta sauce and it’s a delicious way to sneak in extra nutrients into your meal. Check out my blog post on why you need to eat more leafy greens! 🥦🥬🥗

Nuts and seeds: Adding texture and nuttiness

If you are as lazy as me, you can also just get a bag of mixed nuts and use 3/4 cup of it in the recipe. You can simply use this mixed nut here. Planters Select Cashews, Almonds, Pecans & Planters Delux Mixed Nuts All kinds of nuts and seeds work so well in the recipe. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

In Korean bean noodle soup Kong-guksu, often nuts and seeds are added for extra umami. The pasta sauce is taken to the next level when you incorporate the nuts and seeds. In a pesto, pine nuts are a classic choice, but any kind of nuts and seeds like almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, and even peanuts can be added to give a wholesome nuttiness to the pasta sauce. To make the green pasta sauce flavor even fuller, toast the nuts and seeds lightly before blending for an extra layer of flavor. When you add greens to your food, I know it can sometimes taste “grassy.” But when the nuts are added, suddenly the flavor becomes a refreshing taste without tasting like grass. It also adds healthy fat and protein to the sauce.

Kreamy Vegan

Savory Green Pasta Sauce

Inspired by Korean noodle dish Kong-guksu, this green pasta sauce is packed with umami flavor and a burst of colors!

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Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Servings: 2

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

Savory Green Pasta Sauce

• 2 cup Shelled edamame Frozen or fresh
• 2 cup Water
• 1/2 cup Almonds
• 2 tbsp Peanuts
• 2 tbsp Sunflower seeds
• 1 cup Greens Carrot top, basil, kale, spinach
• 2 tsp Salt
• Dash Pepper To taste

Spaghetti

• 140 g Whole wheat spaghetti

Method

 

1. Pour one cup of water in a blender. Pour the rest of the ingredients – edamame, almonds, peanuts, sunflower seeds, greens of your choice, and salt.
2. Cook whole wheat pasta as the instruction on the packaging says.
3. Serve pasta on your plates and pour the sauce on top of the pasta. Grind some pepper on your pasta as you wish.

[Tips]

•  I personally do not like to use spinach for this recipe, because blended spinach will have more oxalates absorbed into your body.
• Carrot tops are usually thrown away, but this is one of my favorite ways to use the parts of the carrots we don’t usually eat. Like basil, carrot tops also have a quite strong and unique flavor and smell. Use each ingredient accordingly.
• You can put any kind of nuts in here. You can also use pine nuts, macadamia nuts, cashew nuts, and w

Conclusion

This pasta dish is a great quick meal that is rich in protein and fiber, thanks to all the beans and nuts in the recipe. With lots of seeds and nuts in the recipe, it is so creamy and savory. The greens that are blended in the recipe bring out such beautiful light green colors to the sauce which means it adds more nutrition, including chlorophyll, to your diet. I hope you also try my go-to recipe for your next meal. Bon appetit!