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Llubav’s Green Spaghetti

By Julia Turshen

3.8

(4)

A tangle of greensauced pasta on a platter topped with crumbled feta.
Photo by Melina Hammer

One of the nicest things that happened when I first met Grace was meeting her friends, including Llubav, a gifted artist and a mother of two. This green spaghetti, inspired by her cousin Shuggie, is one of Llubav’s go-tos. It’s a winner and is great for weeknight cooking since you don’t have to chop a thing! You just blend some spinach, torn kale, fresh basil, and garlic with feta, cream cheese, and olive oil to make a fresh but also rich sauce that wraps itself around spaghetti. I use whole wheat spaghetti here not only because it’s got a bit more nutritional bang for its buck, but also because its nuttiness really goes so well with the sauce. The sauce would also be good stirred into rice or crushed boiled potatoes. You could add a package of frozen peas or broccoli to the pasta pot at the end of cooking for another dose of vegetables (without any chopping). You could also top each portion with a fried egg for a boost of protein. Thank you, Llubav, for sharing it.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    4 servings

Ingredients

Kosher salt
1 pound (453 g) whole wheat spaghetti, or whatever type of pasta you’d like
5 ounces (141 g) fresh baby spinach
6 large leaves fresh kale (any type), tough stems discarded, torn into large pieces
1 large handful fresh basil leaves (about 12 large leaves)
2 garlic cloves, peeled
½ cup (50 g) crumbled feta cheese, plus extra for serving
3 tablespoons cream cheese
3 tablespoons extra- virgin olive oil

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Set a large pot of water to boil and salt it generously. Add the spaghetti to the pot and cook according to the package directions.

    Step 2

    Meanwhile, place the spinach, kale, basil, garlic, feta cheese, cream cheese, and olive oil in a blender and add 1 cup (240 ml) of the boiling salted water from the pasta pot. Puree until smooth and season to taste with salt (it might need quite a bit depending on how salty your water is—don’t be shy!).

    Step 3

    Drain the spaghetti in a colander and then return it to the now-empty pot. Add the green sauce and stir well to combine.

    Step 4

    Serve immediately with extra crumbled feta cheese on top.

Cover of the cookbook featuring the author in her kitchen.
From Simply Julia: 110 Easy Recipes for Healthy Comfort Food © 2021 by Julia Turshen. Reprinted with permission by Harper Wave, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. Buy the full book from HarperCollins, Amazon, or Bookshop.
TagsPastaSpaghettiSpinachLeafy GreensVegetableKaleBasilHerbs & SpicesFetaCheeseDairyMainDinnerNut FreeVegetarianQuickEasyOne-Pot MealsWeeknight Meals30 Minutes or LessSimmerBlenderCookbooksHarper Collins

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