Name: Healthy Pesto Pasta
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 2 medium zucchinis (spiralized (400 g)); 2 cups cooked spaghetti (115 g dry spaghetti); 1 cup fresh arugula leaves (20 g); 1 tsp olive oil (for sautéing (5 ml)); 1 tbsp Parmesan Cheese (5 g); 1 cup packed fresh basil leaves (30 g); ½ cup packed fresh arugula leaves (10 g); 1 garlic clove (minced (5 g)); 1 tsp olive oil (5 ml); ¼ cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt (60 ml / 60 g); 3 tbsp water (45 ml); ¼ tsp salt (1.5 g); ¼ tsp black pepper (0.5 g); 1 tbsp Parmesan Cheese (5 g)

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Healthy Pesto Pasta is my fresh, light take on the Italian classic—still full of basil-y flavor, just way more WW-friendly. Instead of drowning it in oil, this version blends basil, arugula, Greek yogurt, and Parmesan into a creamy pesto that hits all the right notes.

Tossed with a combo of spaghetti and zucchini noodles, it feels like half pasta, half salad—and just 4 Points per bowl. Ready in 25 minutes—what’s not to love? Don’t miss our other Weight Watchers dinner recipes!

Light and healthy Pesto Pasta on two plates with parmesan and fresh basil on the side.

Why try healthy pesto pasta?

A creamy pesto made with Greek yogurt. A quarter cup of fat-free plain Greek yogurt and a splash of water give the sauce its body, so the whole recipe uses just two teaspoons of olive oil: one in the pesto and one in the skillet.
Half spaghetti, half zucchini noodles. Two cups of cooked spaghetti get tossed with two spiralized zucchinis, so this pesto pasta still has real pasta in every bowl.
Arugula in the sauce and in the bowl. It gets blended into the pesto with the basil and garlic, then another cup of fresh leaves is tossed in with the noodles right before the sauce goes on.
A 25-minute dinner at 4 Points a bowl. There is no cooking the sauce: everything goes into a blender or food processor and gets blended until smooth. The zucchini noodles only need two minutes in the skillet.

Recipe Overview

Serving Size: 1 bowl (200 g)
Number of Servings: 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
4 WW Points Per Serving. You can view the recipe on the WW App here. (WW login required.)

Ingredients

For the pasta:

2 medium zucchinis, spiralized (400 g)
2 cups cooked spaghetti (115 g dry spaghetti)
1 cup fresh arugula leaves (20 g)
1 tsp olive oil, for sautéing (5 ml)
1 tbsp Parmesan Cheese (5 g)

For the pesto sauce:

1 cup packed fresh basil leaves (30 g)
½ cup packed fresh arugula leaves (10 g)
1 garlic clove, minced (5 g)
1 tsp olive oil (5 ml)
¼ cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt (60 ml / 60 g)
3 tbsp water (45 ml)
¼ tsp salt (1.5 g)
¼ tsp black pepper (0.5 g)
1 tbsp Parmesan Cheese (5 g)

Instructions

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add 4 oz (115 g) of dry spaghetti and cook according to package instructions until al dente (usually 8-10 minutes). Drain and set aside.
In a blender or food processor, combine the basil, arugula, garlic, olive oil, Greek yogurt, water, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. If the sauce is too thick, add 1-2 tsp more water. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Spiralize the zucchinis using a spiralizer or julienne peeler.
Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the zucchini noodles and sauté for 2 minutes, tossing gently. Remove from the heat immediately to prevent them from becoming mushy.
In a large pot, toss the cooked spaghetti, sautéed zucchini noodles, Parmesan cheese, and fresh arugula. Pour the pesto sauce over the mixture and gently combine until everything is evenly coated.
Divide into bowls and garnish with extra basil or a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese (optional). Best enjoyed immediately.

Cooked pasta mixed with pesto sauce in a pot.

Tips and Tricks for Making Healthy Pesto Pasta

This pesto pasta is halfway between a pasta recipe and a salad, so you’ll want to handle it almost the same way as you would a salad.

This dish is super fresh, so only make it when you’re ready to eat it—prepping it ahead of time doesn’t work here.
Use dark green zucchinis that are very firm to spiralize them more easily. For this recipe, I sauté them, but keep in mind that two minutes is more than enough. If you cook them longer, they’ll lose all their volume and get mushy.
For a lower Weight Watchers points version, you can use zucchini noodles only.
If you’re not into arugula, you can go with watercress, spinach, or even a few fresh basil leaves.

This pasta is a make-it-and-eat-it kind of dish. If you want a pesto you can keep in the fridge, our Homemade Healthy Pesto blends basil and cilantro with avocado instead of yogurt and keeps for up to three days, ready for chicken, veggies or sandwiches. For another easy spaghetti night, our lemon butter spaghetti tosses whole-grain pasta with lemon, garlic and fresh basil. And if the half pasta, half salad idea is your thing, these pasta salads are next:

Chicken pasta salad

Chicken broccoli pasta salad

Spinach artichoke pasta salad

Healthy Pesto Pasta

Why try healthy pesto pasta?

Recipe Overview

Ingredients

Instructions

Tips and Tricks for Making Healthy Pesto Pasta