Creamy Nettle Pasta Sauce

Creamy, fresh, and vividly green, this nettle pasta sauce is a nourishing way to make the most of stinging nettle season. Blanched nettles are blended with roasted macadamia nuts, hemp milk, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, and lemon juice to create a flavorful, dairy-free and plant-based sauce that comes together in minutes. Serve it with your favorite gluten-free or lectin-free pasta for a simple and nutritious spring lunch or dinner.

Cooking with stinging nettles

Fresh stinging nettles are one of those ingredients that make spring cooking feel truly seasonal. They have a deep green, earthy flavor — somewhere between spinach and other tender leafy greens — and are naturally rich in nutrients.

Whenever I find fresh nettles at the farmers market, I bring home a generous batch and blanch them all at once. Once blanched, they lose their sting and can be used much like cooked spinach: in soups, sauces, tortillas, omelets, or savory pies.

How to clean and blanch stinging nettles

Always wear gloves when handling raw nettles. Wash them thoroughly in several changes of water, until the water remains clean.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the nettles, and blanch them for about five minutes. Remove them with a slotted spoon, allow them to drain, and gently press out excess water once they are cool enough to handle.

How to make nettle pasta sauce

Once the nettles are blanched, the sauce takes only a few minutes to prepare. Add the nettles, garlic, macadamia nuts, hemp milk, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and nutritional yeast to a high-powered blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy, adding a little more hemp milk if needed.

I like homemade hemp milk here because it has a mild flavor and creates a creamy consistency without dairy. Unsweetened almond milk also works well, but I would avoid coconut milk, as its flavor can overpower the nettles.

Taste the sauce and adjust the salt, pepper, and lemon juice if needed.

How to serve it

Warm the nettle sauce gently in a pan, then add the cooked pasta and a few tablespoons of pasta cooking water. Toss until the pasta is evenly coated and the sauce has reached your preferred consistency.

Finish with toasted almond flakes, fresh or dried oregano, freshly ground black pepper, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

The sauce itself is vegan and makes a satisfying plant-based meal when served with pasta. For extra protein, you can add chicken, ground beef, sausage, bacon, or prosciutto. Cook the protein first, then add the sauce and cooked pasta to the pan.

If dairy isn’t a concern, you can also finish the dish with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

More recipes with stinging nettles

If you are lucky enough to have plenty of fresh nettles, try them in:

• Gluten-Free Green Tortillas with Cassava Flour
• Creamy Nettle Soup with Cauliflower (Dairy-Free)

More pasta recipes

• Bolognese Sauce Without Tomatoes (Veggie Loaded, Lectin-Light)
• Homemade Green Gnocchi with Arugula and Cassava Flour
• Gluten-Free Pasta Carbonara

For lectin-free, gluten-free pasta options, check my SHOP page.

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