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My Hearts Of Palm Pasta Recipe Is A Creamy, Twirly, Lighter Take On Pasta
Ingredients & Substitutions
How To Cook Hearts Of Palm Pasta
Maya’s Recipe Tips
Hearts Of Palm Pasta (Tuscan Style) Recipe card
What To Serve With Hearts Of Palm Pasta
Recipe Reviews

My Hearts Of Palm Pasta Recipe Is A Creamy, Twirly, Lighter Take On Pasta

I’ve made so many different types of veggie noodles, but this hearts of palm pasta might be my favorite yet. It’s actually twirly with an almost al-dente bite, and holds up to all kinds of sauces. I’ll show you how to cook hearts of palm noodles for any sauce you love, but this time I leaned into one particular sauce I love most with these. Here’s why:

Tender, twirlable noodles – I rinse and boil the noodles, which helps make them less crunchy and neutral in flavor. They actually taste really close to an al dente texture under a forkful of sauce.
Creamy Tuscan-style sauce with pops of veggies – If you love my Tuscan salmon or Crock Pot Tuscan chicken, this is a similar combo: spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and a rich Parmesan cream sauce. The tangy hearts of palm noodles remind me of how artichokes taste, so they work really well with these flavors.
Thick sauce texture, not watery – Some of you have asked me about hearts of palm over the years, and the biggest issues you reported are that they can taste briny or make your sauce watery. That’s because they come packed in liquid that has this certain flavor and can thin the sauce. I’ve included tips to help with both.
Light meal or side with protein and fiber – The sauce may be rich, but the noodles themselves are very low calorie, low carb, and naturally gluten-free, with a balance of protein and fiber. I usually serve this as a side or toss in a protein to make a one-pan meal.

I made these veggie noodles years ago and thought they were just okay, but now with this new method and hearts of palm recipe, I love them even more. Make them with me!

Creamy hearts of palm pasta in a skillet with a wooden spoon.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Here I explain the best ingredients for my hearts of palm recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.

Hearts of Palm Pasta – Hearts of palm pasta is noodles made from the tender inner part of certain palm trees, cut into noodle shapes. It has a mild, slightly tangy flavor and a firm bite that softens when you boil it. I use these linguine-style noodles — other shapes or brands may soften at different rates.
Olive Oil – To sauté the garlic and tomatoes. If your sun-dried tomatoes are packed in oil, you can use some of that oil in place of the olive oil for extra flavor.
Garlic – Fresh minced cloves give the sauce its savory base.
Sun-Dried Tomatoes – They add concentrated, sweet and tangy flavor to the cream sauce. I recommend oil-packed ones because they’re more tender than dry-packed tomatoes. Drain them well before chopping, so your sauce doesn’t turn out too oily. You can also use homemade sun-dried tomatoes.
Chicken Broth – I prefer reduced-sodium broth to control the salt myself. You can also use homemade chicken broth, bone broth, or even vegetable broth for a vegetarian option.
Heavy Cream – Makes the sauce rich and helps it thicken as it reduces. Full-fat coconut milk would work as an alternative. Regular dairy milk would be too thin and can curdle, so I don’t recommend it here.
Baby Spinach – I use fresh spinach here, but you can also use frozen if you squeeze it very dry before adding it to the pan.
Parmesan Cheese – Naturally thickens the sauce and creates its signature Tuscan-style flavor. Another hard cheese that melts smoothly, such as Pecorino Romano, would also work well.
Sea Salt & Black Pepper – A few of the other ingredients are already salty, so I highly recommend seasoning only at the end, to your taste.

Labeled recipe ingredients: hearts of palm pasta, olive oil, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, baby spinach, heavy cream, chicken broth, grated parmesan cheese, sea salt, and black pepper.

How To Cook Hearts Of Palm Pasta

I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.

How To Prepare Hearts Of Palm Noodles

Start the water. Bring a large pot of water to a boil while you get the noodles ready.
Rinse the noodles. Place them in a colander over the sink and rise well, tossing the strands under running water.
Boil to improve texture. Transfer the hearts of palm noodles to the boiling water and boil until they have the bite you like. Drain and pat dry. It’s important to dry well here, which will help the sauce cling.

Choose Your Sauce

At this point, the prepared noodles are ready for any sauce you like. Toss them briefly with warm marinara or Alfredo sauce, or fold in pesto off the heat.

For the creamy Tuscan-style version pictured here, keep going with my sauce below.

TIP: If you choose a thinner sauce, you may want to fry the noodles dry after boiling.

This is similar to the method I use for shirataki noodles. After boiling, pat dry, then fry in a dry skillet for 2-4 minutes to really cook away any extra moisture. Then you can proceed to toss with the sauce.

Make My Creamy Tuscan-Style Sauce

Saute the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes. Toss them with olive oil in a large skillet (I used this one) over medium heat and sauté until the garlic is fragrant.
Add the chicken broth and heavy cream. I do this quickly so the garlic doesn’t burn. Scrape up the flavorful bits from the bottom of the skillet as you go. Bring to a gentle boil, then simmer until the sauce has reduced by about a third.

Sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and heavy cream simmering.

Add the noodles. Simmer them in the sauce to coat well.
Lower the heat, then stir in the spinach. Cook until it has just wilted and is still bright green.
Finish with cheese. Stir in the Parmesan until the sauce is smooth, then taste and season with sea salt and black pepper. I like to finish my hearts of palm pasta with extra Parmesan, cracked pepper, and sometimes a little parsley.

Baby spinach added to hearts of palm pasta.

Parmesan cheese added to hearts of palm noodles.

Hearts of palm pasta in a skillet and garnished with fresh parmesan cheese.

Maya’s Recipe Tips

Rinse the hearts of palm very well. This is important to wash away the packing liquid and make the flavor more neutral.
Boil for the texture you want. For the brand I use, 15 minutes is the sweet spot for a softer, but still al dente bite. The time can vary if your hearts of palm pasta is a different shape or you prefer a different texture. You can remove a noodle during boiling to taste for texture.
Grab a large, heavy skillet. I use this one and love it. It gives the sauce room to reduce, makes the recipe faster, and lets you toss the noodles without losing a bunch over the sides. A smaller skillet can work, but may increase the cook time.
The amount of Parmesan you need can vary depending on how much your sauce reduces upfront. Add more if needed to ensure the sauce is thick, not watery. On the other hand, if it seems stiff, you can add an extra splash of cream or broth to thin it out.
Be careful not to overcook the spinach. You want it just barely wilted when you add the Parmesan, still bright green. It’ll continue to cook down a little more as you add the Parm.
This sauce works with other types of noodles, too. While I developed it for hearts of palm, any pasta you love is great as long as you precook it first. You can use regular pasta, zucchini noodles, spaghetti squash, and even kelp noodles.