Avocado Pesto Pasta

This avocado pasta is creamy, so easy to make and completely vegan! It’s ready in just 15 minutes for a quick plant based dinner the whole family will love. With simple, pantry staple ingredients.

I feel like it’s been a while since I shared a pasta recipe, but this avocado pasta is the ultimate healthy comfort food! It has fresh basil for a pesto like flavor. It’s rich and creamy but made from a few pantry staple ingredients you probably already have on hand.

It’s ready to eat as soon as your pasta is done cooking, so it’s the perfect 15 minute meal when you don’t really feel like cooking anything fancy!

This recipe calls for my homemade cashew parmesan, but you can easily make it nut free by subbing for good old nutritional yeast or regular parmesan if you aren’t dairy free or need a nut free option.

If you love this recipe, try my broccoli pesto, red pesto pasta or carrot pasta next!

Before we get started…

• Ripe avocados work best, but since the sauce will be blended, it’s ok if they’re a bit on the firm side.
• In place of the veggie broth, you can sub in more olive oil for a richer flavor.
• For a vegan version, we will use my cashew parmesan, but if you are not vegan, regular parmesan will work great.

How to make avocado pesto pasta

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package instructions.

Meanwhile, add all remaining ingredients to a food processor or high speed blender and process until smooth.

Please note: this recipe calls for lemon juice. The whole lemon is only shown in the photograph to display the ingredients you will need for the recipe. Please don’t throw the whole lemon in your food processor!

Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. I sometimes like to add some red pepper flakes for spice, or a bit more basil.

When the pasta is done, combine with the sauce. Garnish with fresh chopped basil, red pepper flakes, and a sprinkle of cashew parmesan.

Key ingredients

AVOCADO. You will need two large, ripe avocados for this recipe. Most pesto uses a nut of some sort, but to make this super creamy and rich, we’ll be using avocados instead, so this is completely nut free!

BASIL. Basil is key in pesto! You will need 1/2 cup, or about one extra large handful.

LEMON. Fresh lemon juice really helps round out the flavors and add a little tang.

PARMESAN. I often use regular parmesan, but if you are dairy free or vegan, my homemade cashew parmesan or a store bought vegan parmesan is just as delicious.

OLIVE OIL. Olive oil helps the sauce blend up nice and smooth with a bit of veggie broth as well.

GARLIC. Lots of it! Garlic is key in any pesto (or any pasta sauce for that matter).

Serving suggestions

While this recipe is a great meal all on it’s own, if you’re looking for some more protein, you can serve it alongside my lemon pepper salmon, grilled chicken, or stir some small white beans into the pasta when you add the sauce.

If you want to add some veggies, I suggest steamed or roasted broccoli or some fresh arugula. Peas also work well!

Can you make pesto without basil?

You can, but you’ll definitely want to substitute another herb (or herbs) to add more flavor. I like chives, cilantro or parsley! But traditionally, pesto is made with basil.

How to store

Once prepared, this avocado pasta will store in the fridge for about 3 days. It might start to brown slightly, which is just the nature of avocados, but the lemon juice will act as a preservative for at least a couple days!

You can reheat this recipe on the stove or microwave with a splash of oil, or just eat it cold like pasta salad! It’s delicious either way.

I do not recommend freezing the sauce or the pasta as I don’t think the consistency will hold up well when it thaws. For best results, use/consume within a few days of making!

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