Lemon-Pistachio Spaghetti with Spinach
Dinner doesn’t have to be tough! This quick and easy pasta of pasta tossed together with a lemon-pistachio pesto and fresh spinach is a cinch to prepare.
While I strive to regularly switch up our weekly dinner routine and make sure we try new dishes and flavors, there’s one thing’s you can be sure of— pasta night.
I often save our pasta meal for the busiest night of the week, as I can throw the whole meal together in the time it takes to boil pasta to al dente. Yes, some pasta dishes require more time and forethought, but not recipes like this one.
It requires just 6 basic ingredients— pistachios, lemon, shallot, olive oil, spinach and pasta. The pistachios, lemon, shallot and olive oil are blended together to make a pesto-like mixture that is tossed with the cooked pasta and spinach.
It’s such a simple dish, but packed with complex flavor. If you’re curious what a mixture of pistachios, lemon and shallot tastes like, it’s surprisingly fabulous— light and fresh.
This meal is family approved, even my toddler gobbled it up!
Lemon Pistachio Spaghetti with Spinach
Ingredients
- ½ cup pistachios (60 grams)
- 1 small shallot , roughly chopped
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ lb spaghetti (226 grams)
- 2 cups packed fresh spinach (65 grams)
- Salt and pepper , to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Spread pistachios in a single layer on a sheet pan. Toast until fragrant and lightly browned, about 5-8 minutes. Let cool completely.
- Place the toasted pistachios, chopped shallot, lemon zest and juice, salt and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a food processor or blender and pulse until coarsely chopped. Do not puree.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions, or until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.
- Toss the pasta with the lemon-pistachio mixture, remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and enough pasta water to make a loose sauce. Add spinach and season with additional salt and pepper if necessary. Serve immediately.
Notes
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Diamond of California as part of a long-term food ambassadorship program. Thank you for supporting partnerships with brands I love and believe in, which make Completely Delicious possible. All opinions are always 100% my own.
I’m coming over for dinner!! xoxo
Do you use salted or unsaltee pistachios?
Pasta is a staple around here and we eat it everyday for lunch (I’m a proud italian girl after all!), so I’m always looking for new sauces and ingredients to toss it with, so that we don’t end up always with the same flavors. This sounds new to me but it looks like a great, fresh and summery combo. I’ll try this out for sure!
xo, Elisa
Coarse pesto? NOT drowning in oil? Yay! Perfection!
I love pasta and I’ll definitely try this recipe 🙂
Super lovely. I love a lemony pasta!