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Main Course · Italian · 40 minutes

Whole Wheat Spaghetti in Homemade Pesto Sauce

By Sonia · 1 June 2019
Nutrition diploma holder & home cook, Vizag — not a registered dietitian. Cooked, shot and eaten in my own kitchen.

Top shot of healthy Pesto pasta arranged on a plate with basil, pumpkin seeds, pesto sauce and a fork
Top shot of healthy Pesto pasta arranged on a plate with basil, pumpkin seeds, pesto sauce and a fork
16g proteinper 50 servings
Prep
20 min
Cook
20 min
Total
40 min
Serves
5
Calories
361 kcal
Course
Main Course

All nutrition figures are per 50 servings.

Good to know

Contains gluten.

Vegan · Vegetarian

Spice Mild

Effort Easy

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Whole wheat spaghetti in a creamy, homemade pesto sauce. But hey, how does a fitness & healthy food blogger make so much pasta? Pasta is so unhealthy, no? Well, pasta can be healthy too, if you balance it wisely and track the calories according to your intended macros for the day. Like this dish full of green pesto goodness and loads of veggies.

Whole-Wheat Spaghetti in Homemade Pesto Sauce
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Do You Love Pasta Too?

If you know me or have been around here a while, you know I love pasta! It’s my go-to bowl of comfort food/ quick easy meal idea for all the times I’m running out of time or options. What I don’t run out is ideas on how to make my bowl of pasta balanced and healthier, and also how to eat mindfully and in moderation so that there’s no guilt-tripping ever.

Top shot of ingredients needed for healthy wholewheat spaghetti in pesto sauce, arranged on a dark background with basil, pumpkin seeds, nutritional yeast, parmesan, olive oil, garlic, pink salt, spaghetti & spinach
Healthier pasta, with few ingredients really!

Whole Wheat Pasta for the Win!

How to not trip over with guilt each time you want to eat pasta? Easy – swap refined flour pasta options with wholegrain pasta options (some of these now include veggies as well, so double yayyy!), preferably cook your own pasta at home so you can measure all raw ingredients and track calories, and substitute that fat-laden cheese for nutritional yeast/ seed or nut pesto (like I did here!)/ homemade red sauce so that you still get the creamy comfort food you were yearning for, albeit less calorie-rich and easier on the conscience!

Side shot of healthy whole wheat spaghetti arranged on a plate with basil, pumpkin seeds, pesto sauce and a fork
Aah the joy of twirling fresh homemade pasta in your fork, right before devouring it.

This pasta recipe substitutes the copious amounts of cheese required typically in white sauce pasta dishes you might order while eating out, by using a pumpkin-seed based pesto sauce, and loads of veggies like spinach, mushrooms & onions. I swapped some of the parmesan content in pesto sauce with nutritional yeast too, to bring it closer to a well-balanced meal. Want to reduce the calorie count further? – use zoodles aka zucchini noodles in place of grain-based noodles to make it all-plant meal option. Check my Zoodles with Spinach Pistachio Pesto Sauce and Nutritional Yeast recipe & thank me later!

Looking for more comfort food options which are healthy and balanced too? Check my

Creamy Barley Risotto

Cacio e Pepe with Green Peas and Nutritional Yeast

Pad Thai Noodles & Fried Tofu in Peanut Sauce,

Nasi Goreng with Black Rice & Chickpeas for more easy healthy meal ideas!

RECIPE: WHOLE WHEAT SPAGHETTI IN HOMEMADE PESTO SAUCE

Serves 5

Preparation Time: 20 minutes, Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

INGREDIENTS

  • 250g Durum whole-wheat spaghetti
  • 200g Spinach, washed and roughly chopped
  • 2 onions, chopped
  • 5-6 garlic pods, minced
  • 1 zucchini, sliced
  • 200g button mushrooms, sliced into quarters
  • 100g Homemade Pesto Sauce
  • 1 tsp paprika (optional)
  • 1 tsp pepper, fresh-ground (optional)
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1.5 tbsp olive oil
  • 1.5 liters water, for cooking pasta

INSTRUCTIONS

First, add ¼ tsp salt to water and bring it to boil in a large pan. Then, add pasta with 2-3 drops of oil to prevent pasta from clinging, and cook till the pasta is al dente (soft yet with a firm bite). Drain the water – however, reserve some for the sauce.

Add oil and minced garlic in a non-stick pan and then increase the heat to medium. Next, add chopped onions, zuchhini and mushrooms. Sauté until mushrooms are cooked.

Place the chopped spinach leaves on a plate and microwave on medium for 2 minutes to somewhat wilt them. This ensures maximum nutrition retention.

Add spaghetti, wilted spinach and pesto sauce. Mix well so the veggies and sauce coat the spaghetti uniformly.

Sprinkle paprika, pepper and turn off the flame.

Devour!

I’d love to hear how this recipe turned out for you, if you tried it. Do post a pic on Instagram and tag #fitfoodiediary in the picture!

The recipe

Whole Wheat Spaghetti in Homemade Pesto Sauce

Whole wheat spaghetti in a creamy, homemade pesto sauce. But hey, how does a fitness & healthy food blogger make so much pasta? Pasta is so unhealthy, no? Well, pasta can be healthy too, if you balance it wisely and track the calories according to your intended macros for the day. Like this creamy pasta full of green pesto goodness and loads of veggies.

Ingredients

Serves
5

Method

  1. Add ¼ tsp salt to water and bring it to boil in a large pan. Add pasta with 2-3 drops of oil to prevent pasta from clinging, and cook till the pasta is al dente (soft yet with a firm bite). Drain the water – reserve some for the sauce.
  2. Add oil and minced garlic in a non-stick pan and then increase the heat to medium. Add chopped onions, zuchhini and mushrooms. Sauté until mushrooms are cooked.
  3. Add spaghetti and pesto sauce. Mix well so the veggies and sauce coat the spaghetti uniformly.
  4. Sprinkle paprika, pepper and turn off the flame.
  5. Devour!

Nutrition, per 50 servings

Calories
361 kcal
Protein
16 g
Carbs
52 g
Fat
19 g
Saturated fat
4 g
Fibre
5 g
Sugar
6 g
Sodium
704 mg

Figures are estimates, per 50 servings, calculated from the ingredients listed. They will shift with your brands, your substitutions and how heavy-handed you are with the oil. This is general information from a home cook with a nutrition diploma — it is not medical or dietetic advice. If you are managing a health condition, please talk to a qualified professional. Full disclaimer.

Main CourseItalian

More from my kitchen

Sonia

Nice to meet you!

I'm Sonia.

I hold a diploma in nutrition and have spent years cooking, testing, and eating my way through modern takes on regional Indian and global food. Everything here is made and photographed in my own kitchen before it reaches you. I’m not a registered dietitian — I’m a home cook who reads the research, cites her sources, and keeps it honest.

Made one of my recipes? Tag @fit.foodie.diary on Instagram so I can see it!

I'm not a registered dietitian or a doctor. When I make a nutrition claim, I back it with research and tell you where it came from.

More about Sonia

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