Healthy Spaghetti

Gorgeous healthy spaghetti packed with peas and tossed in a bold pesto sauce made with avocado, fresh green leaves and bright lemon.

An explosion of flavor and nutrients ready in 20 minutes.

I think I could eat pasta just about every single day for the rest of my life. It’s one of those comforting meals that make me happy no matter what!

But when you think of a big bowl of spaghetti, “healthy” isn’t’ the first word that jumps into your mind, right? But today’s recipe will show you that eating a bowl of pasta can also be good for you and perfect for a balanced diet.

I’m not a nutritionist, but I tried to create a pasta recipe that combines a bunch of super healthy ingredients to make a wholesome and delicious family meal.

To start with, the recipe uses whole wheat spaghetti packed with fiber and minerals – while white pasta has been stripped of many of these nutrients during its processing.

We also add fresh or frozen peas in the last minutes of the pasta cooking time for a serious protein punch.

While the pasta is cooking, we make a quick pesto that is a nutrition powerhouse, a green concoction that is delicious and full of health benefits.

The recipe packs tons of superfood greens, garlic, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, nuts, heart-healthy avocado, and of course, extra virgin olive oil and seasoning. It’s a no brainer to whip up in minutes and it’s just perfect with spaghetti.

Seriously, this is probably the healthiest pasta dish you’ll eat all week. It’s so deliciously filling, vegan, and so simple to put together that I guarantee you’ll be making it again and again.

I know it sounds too good to be true! : )

List of the ingredients

• Whole wheat or legume-based spaghetti
• Spinach or arugula
• Tuscan kale or curly kale
• Fresh basil
• Avocado
• Nuts (cashews, almonds…)
• Lemon juice
• Garlic
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt & pepper

Scroll down to see why this combination of ingredient is amazing!

How to make healthy spaghetti

(Note: this is a quick description, the full recipe is at the bottom of the page)

• Place the pesto ingredients in a food processor or in a blender.
• Blitz until you get the desired texture.
• Add olive oil a little at a time while the machine is on.
• Taste and adjust the flavor to your taste.

• Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in salted water until al dente.
• Three minutes before draining stir in the peas and cook until tender.
• Reserve some pasta water, drain, and return pasta and peas to the pot.
• Add the pesto and a touch of pasta water, toss until well coated. Enjoy!

Recipe notes

Ingredients & health benefits

Here’s what you’ll need to make this scrumptious bowl of pasta including a few substitutions. Most importantly, let’s see why it’s healthy!

Unrefined spaghetti: I recommend using whole wheat spaghetti or whole grain pasta made from quinoa, spelt, buckwheat. Also gluten-fee or legume-based pasta works great for this recipe and you can choose your fav shape, of course. Using unrefined pasta helps to maximise the fiber and protein intake and makes you feel fuller for longer. It’s a win-win.

Peas: the recipe uses convenient frozen peas, an excellent source of plant-based protein, vitamins and mineral.

Leafy greens: the pesto recipe is flexible, you can use arugula instead of spinach, lacinato or curly kale. It’s a powerhouse of nutrients where cruciferous veggies and spinach give a wonderful boost of antioxidants, vitamin C, vitamin K and they might reduce the risk of getting cancer.

Avocado: to add creaminess and provides an amazing range of essential nutrients such as protein, iron, beta carotene, and omega-3 fatty acids.

Nuts: I love cashews (which are actually seeds, not nuts) in my pesto recipes. They add texture, but almonds or walnuts work fine too. Cashews are also rich in protein and minerals, they may help to prevent heart diseases due to their high magnesium content.

Lemon: for freshness and vitamin C, but also to improve absorption of the iron found in the leafy green vegetables. Again, win-win.

Nutritional yeast: it adds a nutty, parmesan-style cheesy flavor and makes the recipe 100% vegan. It’s essentially a deactivated yeast, easy to find at most grocery stores, it contains an incredible amount of B vitamins.

Garlic & extra virgin olive oil: essential ingredients for a good flavourful pesto. Extra virgin olive oil is full of healthy fats and health benefits, research suggests that it could protect against heart disease, cancer and inflammation.

Salt: for flavor, but make sure to adjust the seasoning to your liking.

Is this pasta recipe good for yourself?

If eaten in moderation, pasta can be part of a healthy diet, especially when it’s packed with veggies, lean protein and healthy fats like in this healthy spaghetti recipe.

What to serve with healthy spaghetti

• Once you’ve got your dose of greens with your spaghetti, I think a fresh carrot salad or tomato salad would be absolutely great.
• If you want to add more protein to the meal, a chickpea salad, white bean salad, or a quick frittata with arugula would be lovely ideas for a meatless family meal.

More veggie pasta recipes…

If you look for more pasta recipes packed with veggies or plant based protein, check out my easy one-pot pasta recipes, meatless pastas or vegan pasta recipes. Below a few of my weekly staples:

• Quick spinach pasta
• Pasta with peppers
• Pasta with tomatoes and zucchini
• Asparagus pasta
• Pasta with zucchini

And for my favourite pesto recipes, check out my spinach pesto, arugula pesto, and sun dried tomato pesto.

Lastly, If you make this healthy spaghetti, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it or tag a photo #theclevermeal on Instagram.
I would love to hear from you!