sauce recipe (1 serving)

fresh spinach several(3?) handfuls (blended with sauce)

oat milk ~1/3 c (or a diff unsweetened milk)

small pat of butter(flavor) + 3 spoonfuls olive oil (edit: can reduce butter/oil)

lots of black pepper + couple shakes garlic powder (or minced garlic)

tiny pat of miso/deonjang (if u dont have it, just add more cheese, or some salt to taste)

Lots of pecorino romano or parmesan cheese (or both)

small handful walnuts/pecans blended with sauce (opt, but good if u have it. healthy + thickens sauce)

+

more handfuls spinach to eat w pasta whole, opt (several/3 handfuls; keep in mind spinach shrinks a lot when cooked) (cooked in microwave, with sauce liquid)

more cheese, black pepper, parsley etc for serving

Note: need a blender to make the spinach sauce green. I used a small bullet blender. If you don't have a blender, just cook and eat the spinach pieces whole alongside the pasta instead of blending it w the sauce, like an alfredo cream sauce.

With whole spinach pieces:

>combine sauce ingred in tall, microwave safe bowl except spinach & cheese; microwave 30 sec to melt butter/miso and mix thoroughly

>add several handfuls of spinach to the sauce liquid; this is the whole spinach pieces.

>cover + microwave for 1 min /until the spinach leaves are completely wilted and tender but still green

if u dont have a blender you'd be done here (microwave longer to reduce, add more cheese/oil to make it thicker, etc)

>add 2-3 handfuls fresh spinach into bullet blender and pour in most of the sauce liquid; Blend until fully broken down into a creamy green sauce. (add a splash more milk if it's not blending)

>combine w rest of sauce in the bowl; add cheese and microwave 30+ sec more uncovered (*i add cheese at the end bc it's harder to blend with the spinach)

Without whole spinach pieces (just green sauce): combine all sauce ingred Including spinach into bullet blender; blend until fully combined; transfer to bowl & microwave 1 min + longer as needed to reduce (uncovered)

Pasta:

> boil pasta in salted water according to directions (go a min under and test if its cooked, for al dente pasta)

> drain + return to pot, add the sauce + stir

note: if doing this method u can also make the sauce in the same pot instead of using a microwave; after draining the pasta, leave it in strainer, and make the sauce in the same pot and simmer... turn up the heat to boil + reduce as desired, then add the pasta back in and stir until hot. (If i was making a bigger portion for multiple ppl i'd prob do this)

USING LEFTOVER COOKED PASTA (this is what i did, bc i had made a lot of pasta a few days ago, and had the leftovers stored in fridge):

> microwave pasta by itself in a bowl/plate for 1 min, covered

> add the hot sauce on top of hot pasta (microwave first if it's not hot enough)

(^i microwave sauce + pasta separately to ensure the pasta stays al dente btw... if u microwave sauce with pasta it gets soft)

(If making large batches ahead I'd store the pasta and sauce separately for the same reason... I'd prob do the same thing I did, make a large batch of pasta and then make the sauce right before eating... I just hate soft pasta tho so if u dont then dw abt it🫡 lol)

> Top w extra cheese, black pepper, parsley and serve/eat immediately!!