This creamy walnut pasta sauce comes together quickly and tastes delicious over spaghetti squash with peas and parsley. One serving has 16 grams of plant-based protein! This post is sponsored by California Walnuts.
My obsession with spaghetti squash continues and this time I’m sprucing it up with a creamy sauce (made from walnuts), extra veggies and fresh herbs.
Meals like this are my jam… easy, flavorful and loaded with nutrients.
While I don’t put labels on my eating style, I would say my food philosophy is all about real food, with a flexitarian and plant-forward focus.
It’s a balanced approach that works for me and something I’m personally really passionate about.
In a world of restrictive diets that often recommend eliminating entire food groups, it’s awesome to know that something as simple as adding more plants can be super beneficial for our health.
Unlike a vegan or vegetarian approach, a plant-forward diet showcases vegetables, fruits, legumes, seeds and grains, but does not necessarily eliminate animal-based foods.
Low-fat milk and dairy products, seafood, lean meat, poultry and eggs are also key to this balanced eating pattern and complement plant foods deliciously and nutritiously.
The best part is that you don’t have to be strictly vegan or plant-based to see health benefits. Strong evidence over several decades shows that adopting a plant-forward diet may promote the following:
1 Kim, H.et al. (2019). Plant-Based Diets Are Associated With a Lower Risk of Incident Cardiovascular Disease, Cardiovascular Disease Mortality, and All-Cause Mortality in a General Population of Middle-Aged Adults. Journal of the American Heart Association, 8(16), e012865-e012865. https://doi.org/10.1161/jaha.119.012865
Want to learn more? Head to the California Walnuts Plant-Forward section of their website or check out the Plant-Forward Eating Guide.
If you think eating more fruits and vegetables means snacking on raw veggies and adding a side of steamed brussels to your dinner, think again. There are so many fun ways to eat more plants… which is what inspired this recipe!
This walnut pasta sauce is a great example of a creative way to incorporate more plants into a meal. You normally wouldn’t think to use walnuts as the protein source in a pasta sauce, but this turned out so delicious! The walnuts add an amazing depth of flavor, plant-based protein (4g per serving!), good fat and loads of creaminess.
I kept this recipe completely plant-based, but if you want to add a little cheese as a topping or serve with a lean protein like tuna or grilled chicken, go right ahead. I actually added some canned tuna to the leftovers, and it reminded me of a tuna noodle casserole! It was so good!
Did you know that nuts are considered plants and are an important part of a plant-forward diet?
Yup, and they pack quite the nutritional punch! Walnuts in particular provide protein, fiber and magnesium. One ounce of walnuts has 4g of protein, 2g of fiber and 45mg of magnesium. They’re also the only nut with an excellent source of essential plant-based omega-3 ALA (2.5 grams per ounce). Omega-3 ALA (alpha-linolenic acid) has been associated with benefits for heart health, brain health and inflammation.
Here’s what you’ll need to make the creamy walnut sauce:
When researching for this post, I learned this new tip: Walnuts shouldn’t be stored at room temperature. The best place for storing walnuts is in your fridge or freezer.
The refrigerator is great if you’re planning to use them right away, but the freezer is best for long-term storage. They should last up to a year in the freezer!
I recommend storing walnuts in a mason jar or another airtight container. Walnuts can absorb the flavors of other foods, so this makes sure your walnuts don’t end up tasting like broccoli!
If you’ve never made spaghetti squash noodles, you’re in for a treat! I’ve shared two fool-proof methods to cook spaghetti squash: in your oven or using a pressure cooker! Both options are great, it just depends on what kitchen appliances you have and want to use.
Be sure to check out all of the vegan recipes and the full collection of dinner recipes on EBF!
Leave a Comment
This is so delicious! I substituted the yeast for cheese. I should have become a diabetic soon! Thank you for sharing this with us.
You’re so welcome!!
I made the sauce and put it over chickpea noodles. It was delicious! My husband loves meat and dairy and really enjoyed it too.
Woo! That makes me so happy to hear, Tanya! Thanks for making this recipe and coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it!
I just made this. It turned out surprisingly good. Like a very mature version of Mac & cheese.
Woo! That makes me so happy to hear, Deb. So pumped you loved it. Thanks for making it and for the review. I so appreciate it!
Delicious! Thank you for continuing to make creative recipes!
So glad you loved this recipe, Laura! Thanks for the review!
I don’t have the yeast, can I leave it out or sub with what?
You can leave it out or if you can have dairy you could sub it with grated parmesan cheese. Let me know if you try it!