By Claire Peretta

There come times in everyone’s lives in which they saunter into the market motivated by a desire to be healthy or the start of a new week. It is in these moments that we collect bundles of fresh greens, convincing ourselves that they will be used in omelets, as side salads, in smoothies and sandwiches, and we excitedly store them in our fridges for tomorrow’s use. But tomorrow comes along, and the next day, and the next day, and while we might have made good use of the produce at first we eventually find ourselves hitting a plateau. Perhaps we got bored and ran out of ways to use them, or, more likely, we forgot all about them as the week got busier and leftover meals got placed in front of them. As is the case for many of us, we tend to have a habit of letting good greens go bad. 

However, what if we proposed a solution for this? There is a popular treat called Kitchen Sink Cookies. These cookies are made using a variety of random mix-ins, from chocolate chips to potato chips to nuts, giving space for a customizable dessert that doubles as a way to use leftover items from your pantry. What if we told you you could recycle your aging greens in the same way, and with minimal effort or ingredients? 

Popular food content creator, Sherri Davidson, otherwise known as thetastefulblonde on Instagram, created a recipe for a mouth watering pasta sauce both high in iron and fiber! She named the dish her Green Goddess Pasta, and notes that it not only takes a brief 20 minutes to make, and even people–greens-hating children in particular–will love it! The reason for the Green Goddess name is that she uses a mix of basil, kale, and spinach as the main ingredients for the sauce’s base, in addition to other vegetables we all have lying around our fridges including onion, garlic, and beans. What better way to use up our forgotten greens, than to combine them into a delicious pasta sauce? 

Below is the recipe for the entire Green Goddess Pasta dish. Keep in mind that the best part about cooking is that you can almost always adjust a recipe to meet your ingredient and ability needs! Thus, we’ve highlighted in red the optional ingredients that are not necessary for the sauce, but good flavor enhancers. In terms of the leafy greens, just use whatever you have. Enjoy!

Ingredients for the Sauce:

• 2 cups Spinach
• 2 cups Basil
• 2 cups Kale
• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 2 Garlic Cloves (substitute with garlic powder if needed)
• 1 tsp Salt (or to taste)
• ⅓ cup Pasta Water 
• ½ Onion [diced] (substitute with onion powder if needed)
• ½ cup Beans (cannoli or white)
• ⅓ cup Raw Pistachios 
• 1 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

Ingredients to top with [optional]:

• Burrata Cheese
• Fresh Basil
• Salt and Pepper (to taste)
• Red Chili Flakes
• Drizzle of Olive Oil

Instructions:

1. Into a small pan on medium heat sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil until fragrant and translucent (not the 2 tbsp in the recipe).
2. In a large pot, bring water to a boil. A bit of salt helps this process move faster by raising the water’s boiling point, while also adding flavor to whatever will be cooked within it. Once the water is boiling, add in the leafy greens: 2 cups of spinach, 2 cups of basil, and 2 cups of kale. Let this boil for another minute before transferring into an ice bath.
3. In the same large pot, add your pasta directly and cook until al dente (usually about 6-8 minutes depending on pasta type and thickness).
4. While the pasta is cooking, in a blender add the 2 tbsp of olive oil, the pasta water, the leafy greens, and the onion and garlic. Blend until well combined. Once this is done, add in the 1 cup of beans and blend until smooth. Finally, add in the pistachios, grated parmesan, and salt, and blend a third time until all is thoroughly mixed together.
5. In a large bowl, add in the pasta and sauce. If the sauce is thick, you can loosen it with a bit more pasta water.
6. Top it and enjoy!

I hope you liked this recipe! Remember: good greens do not need to go bad!