Speedy Spinach Pesto Pasta is a 15 minute pantry special with spinach and walnut pesto tossed simply with a little gluten-free pasta, fresh garden tomatoes and topped with crumbled bacon.
Speedy Spinach Pesto Pasta!
Lets say that again, faster... Speedy Spinach Pesto Pasta..Faster..! It's a tongue twister for sure but packed with flavors and sure to be a family favorite.
15 Minute Dinner to the Rescue
Just as fast as you can say Speedy Spinach Pesto Pasta 15 times, you can have made and on your dinner table in 15 minutes. Seriously simple, quick to make, easy on the wallet and can be made with mostly all pantry ingredients, you have to love that! If you are looking for other speedy pasta recipes be sure to try our 15 minute Farfalle Aglio e Olio with Breadcrumbs.
We had a serious old Mothers cupboard syndrome this week here at Healthy World Cuisine and had to make dinner just using what I had around. Be sure to check out our 17 Pantry Recipes for Emergency Preparedness to help inspire you to make dinner on just what you have on hand. We always have dried pasta in our house and I always have a little gluten-free pasta on hand for me. So Mama Mia, while the carb watcher was out-of-town we had a pasta feast!
We served this easy speedy spinach pesto pasta with a nice tossed salad and a delicious Italian Red. We only used the food processor and one pot so clean up was a snap.
Recipe Exchanges and Dietary Needs
You can make this dish dairy free easily but holding the parmesan cheese and adjust your seasoning and add a little dried red pepper flakes for a little punch or even a little drizzle of fresh lemon juice or a little lemon zest, instead. If you also want to make this dish vegan, then just hold the bacon crumbles. This recipe is highly adaptable and you can add any protein or veggies you want to this dish. After all, this is a pantry dish so use what you have on hand.
What frozen vegetables do you like to have on hand?
I used frozen spinach because fresh is no longer in season. Having frozen spinach in the freezer makes preparing speedy spinach pesto pasta one easy dish to prepare when you have unexpected guests. I always like to have a little frozen peas and spinach in my freezer as these are 2 veggies as they can be used with so many dishes.
Bacon thieves!
The only issue with this recipe is cooking the bacon first. It leaves you slightly vulnerable for 15 minutes as you are going to have watch those bacon crumbles like a hawk if your family comes into the kitchen before the dish is complete. If your family does not get to it first, then my furry friend has been known to get some real height with his little Yorkie jumps.
Wishing all of you a super week!
More Quick and Easy Dinner Recipes
Farfalle Aglio e Olio with Breadcrumbs
Low Carb Shrimp and Sausage Skillet
Lemon Herb Baked Red Rainbow Trout
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Speedy Spinach Pesto Pasta
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon cooked until crispy, drained and crumbled (hold if going vegan)
- 14 oz spaghetti
(I used gluten free corn and Quinoa mix) - 1 cup walnuts
(if you toast them first...so good but not required) - 2 cloves garlic
peeled - 1.5 cups spinach (unthawed frozen spinach and all the water squeezed out)
- ¼ cup olive oil
(or can use a little water to thin if trying to reduce fat) - salt and pepper
to taste - ½ cup parmesan cheese
(leave out if going dairy free or vegan) reserve a little extra if you want to garnish with a little extra on the finished dish - 1 tomatoes
chopped fresh (optional- garnish) - dried red pepper flakes optional - as desired
Instructions
- Fry bacon until crispy, drain and and crumble. Set Aside. If going vegan you can skip this step and go straight to step 2.
- Bring pasta to boil in a large pot with lots of salted water and cook per pasta directions or until aldente.
- In the meantime, place walnuts in food processor and grind until fine. Add the garlic, spinach, olive oil, salt, pepper and parmesan cheese (if not dairy-free or vegan), salt and pepper to taste and process until smooth.
- Drain pasta (but reserve about 1 cup of pasta water). Add the spinach pesto to the pan with a little bit about ¼ cup- ⅓ cup of pasta water to thin the pesto and make it creamy. Toss well.
- Serve onto 4 plates, top with a little fresh chopped tomatoes, crumbled bacon and a parmesan cheese if not vegan or dairy free. I like a little dried red pepper flakes on top of mine for a little kick.
- Enjoy pasta with a side salad and a nice glass of red wine.
Dana says
This looks wonderful
HWC Magazine says
Thanks Dana! Sometimes dinner has to be fast or it is just not going to happen. Spinach pesto pasta is one of our go to recipes for busy days.