Summer Avocado Pasta (Vegan Possible)

Deepti Punjabi
May 7, 2024
2 min read

This fresh Avocado sauce is packed with flavor and nutrients! This easy weeknight recipe is a great staple for when you are short on time and want a fresh meal.

Our family loves this quick and easy dinner. As a parent, I love the fact that it's a fresh sauce and not packed with preservatives from a jar. Its filling, tasty and quick. The best part is you can use whatever veggies you have on hand.

For my friends that are vegan or those that have a nut allergy, you can just use the fresh basil leaves and get the same taste without the pine nuts or cheese!

Another hack that I like to do, is when I buy fresh basil is to make freeze basil and garlic paste in small ice cubes. I make mine nut and dairy free. However, you can make a full pesto into cubes as well. There is a vast difference in using fresh basil.

Summer Avocado Pasta

(Serves 2-3)

Ingredients

Avocado Sauce

1 Avocado
1/2 Cup Basil, roughly chopped
3-4 Garlic cloves
Salt
Black Pepper
1/4 Cup Lime Juice, freshly squeezed

Pasta

1/2 Packet/ Box of your favorite pasta, boiled according to package instructions *reserve 1 cup pasta water*
1 packet mushrooms
1/2 Red Bell Pepper
2-3 Garlic cloves
1/2 Onion, diced
1-2 Green Chilies (optional)
2-3 Tbsp. Heavy Cream (Optional)

Directions

Boil your pasta in salty water according to the directions on the box. My pasta aficionados know that we do not add oil to the pasta water and the "water should be as salty as the sea". My favorite type of pasta for this dish are penne, fusilli or some sort of spiral.
Reserve approximately one cup of the pasta water before draining the pasta.
In the same pot that you boiled the pasta, you can begin to sauté your veggies. Add oil to a medium-high heat.
Add your onions and green chilies. Sautee until the onions begin to sweat, approximately a few minutes. Add your Italian seasoning and garlic. Sauté for a minute.
Now add all your veggies. Sautee for several minutes to ensure they are fully cooked. If you are adding pesto instead of fresh basil, you can add it now after the veggies have finished cooking. Turn off the heat and set aside to work on the avocados.
In a blender you add your avocados, some of the pasta water you reserved (approximately 1/4th of a cup). f you are using fresh basil, you can add the chopped basil, garlic salt, black pepper, lime juice and olive oil.
Add your blended avocado sauce to the veggies. Add your heavy cream (optional) and mix well. Check for salt and spice.
Toss your cooked pasta into the sauce. Mix well. Add any reserved pasta water if the mixture is too thick. Enjoy!

I hope you enjoy this favorite! Please like and share your experience in the comments section below. Follow me on Instagram & Facebook for more recipes!