Why We Love This Hearts of Palm Pasta Recipe
Delicious, quick, easy, healthy, and did we mention, delicious… Hearts of Palm Pasta with Spinach Cream Sauce is a fabulous low-carb and gluten-free dish that is rich, flavorful, and perfect to satisfy your pasta cravings. This vegetarian recipe is heavy on dairy, but swaps can easily be made for vegan cream cheese (or our cashew cream), plant-based milk, and dairy-free Parmesan cheese. Either way, the pasta takes less than 30 minutes to prepare, so it’s terrific for a quick and nutritious weeknight dinner.
What is Hearts of Palm Pasta?
The hearts of palm pasta is literally just hearts of palm cut into linguine-style noodles, so this recipe is very veggie-focused. But not in, like, a ‘here’s a big salad for dinner’ way. Rather, this dish is decadent and comforting without being too heavy. Because hearts of palm has a distinctly bright and tangy flavor and texture similar to artichokes, when combined with a rich spinach cream sauce the pasta has a creamy, wonderfully familiar spinach artichoke dip appeal.
Ingredients You Need
Hearts of palm pasta – drained and rinsed Olive oil – or other high heat cooking oil Garlic – minced Fresh baby spinach – chopped Cream cheese – cut into cubes Milk – whole fat or 2% Parmesan cheese – grated Dried Italian seasoning – store-bought or homemade Italian seasoning Crushed red pepper – optional Ground nutmeg – a great nutty taste to balance the hearts of palm tanginess and Parmesan flavor Salt and Pepper – just a pinch or two
How to Make Hearts of Palm Pasta with Spinach Cream Sauce
Place the hearts of palm noodles in a colander and rinse for just a minute or so. Then shake the colander and allow the hearts of palm to dry a bit as you prep the spinach pasta sauce. To make the cream cheese spinach sauce, first set a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil and minced garlic. Sauté the garlic for 1 to 2 minutes as you roughly chop the spinach. Stir the spinach into the pan, a couple of handfuls at a time, until it starts to wilt down. Once all the chopped spinach is in the pan and wilted, add in the cream cheese, milk, Parmesan cheese, dried Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper, and ground nutmeg. Stir and allow the sauce to simmer as the cream cheese and Parmesan melt. Simmer for approximately 5 minutes until it starts to thicken to a “heavy cream” consistency. Now stir in the rinsed and drained hearts of palm pasta. Simmer and stir gently for another 1 to 2 minutes to warm the noodles. Serve warm with an extra sprinkling of Parmesan cheese, if you like.
How to Make This a Vegan Spinach Cream Pasta Sauce Recipe
As-is this vegetarian pasta is low-carb and grain-free. However, you can use plant-based milk and cheeses to make a vegan version as well. I recommend choosing alternatives that use cashews, as opposed to coconut products. The nutty cashew flavor goes quite well with vibrant hearts of palm pasta recipes. Coconut milk and cheeses taste more like, well, coconut.
Recipe Variations
Add Extra Veggies: Feel free to add additional veggies to your hearts of palm pasta like tomatoes or zucchini! Add Lemon: For a lighter and brighter flavor, add lemon zest into the creamy sauce and serve with a lemon wedge, too! Use Regular Noodles: If you prefer, you can totally use regular noodles to make a creamy spinach pasta instead!
What do you serve with hearts of palm pasta?
Enjoy this creamy and rich Italian-inspired dish with a fresh green salad, crunchy kale Caesar salad, or caprese salad (this recipe with roasted beets is our favorite!) If you want to add some carbs to the table, you’ve got to try our homemade breadsticks recipe.If you want to add protein to the dish, consider tossing in raw shrimp when you add the pasta… Or serve it with a big juicy steak!
What other sauces go well with low-carb pasta?
We love the pairing of hearts of palm with spinach cream sauce, but the fun doesn’t stop there! Low-carb hearts of palm linguine also is terrific with healthy kale pesto, roasted red pepper sauce, and a simple and rustic homemade marinara.
Can I use a different kind of noodle in this recipe?
I love using the hearts of palm spaghetti in this recipe, but you can use zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash for a different vegetable pasta. Alternatively, you can use regular pasta or your favorite gluten-free pasta instead!
How long do leftovers last?
The pasta itself will keep well for up to a week in a sealed container in the fridge. With the cream cheese spinach sauce, however, refrigerated leftovers should be enjoyed within a day or so.
Looking for More Low Carb Dishes? Be Sure to Also Try These Recipes:
Zoodles (Zucchini Noodles) with Tomatoes and Capers Creamy Cauliflower “Mashed Potatoes” Low Carb Spaghetti and Meatballs Keto Lasagna Roll-Ups (Made with Zucchini!) Roasted Cauliflower Rice
Check the printable recipe card below for nutrient information including calories, protein, cholesterol, sodium, potassium, fiber, and calcium percentages. Share This Recipe With Friends!
