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As you know I attended a Luncheon with Chef Ivy Stark at Dos Caminos this past weekend. And incase you didn’t know, my goody bag consisted of 5 avocados, plus my husband received a goody bag too, so we are talking a total of TEN AVOCADOS! YIKES! 
Besides making a batch of amazing Guacamole and Avocado Fries which turned out to be a disaster, I also made Creamy Avocado Pesto Pasta. It was quite amazing, and healthy, too.
Unfortunately, I can’t take credit for this delectable recipe that I found on one of the best vegan blogs out there, Angela of Oh She Glows.
What I love about this dish is the pesto sauce incorporates avocado instead of the Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO). Although both avocados and EVOO are healthy fats, it’s a nice variant to use avocados for a change which results in a creamier, thicker sauce without any of the avocado flavor.
I went ahead and doubled Angela’s recipe, however I halved the amount of EVOO used in the recipe. In addition, I added some crushed red pepper for that extra kick I need.
My mom, sister, and brother-in-law stopped by so I had a few family members to critique the recipe, in addition to my hubby, of course. Unsurprisingly though, my mom didn’t like this dish, but she’s also an extremely picky eater. My husband, sister, and brother-in-law enjoyed my pasta though.
Last point, the key to making this dish is serving it ASAP, else the oxidation process on the avocado pesto sauce begins almost immediately despite adding lemon juice to the sauce. Also, I don’t think this pasta dish tastes that great in the event you do have leftovers, so plan on inviting a few people over and share the love.
Creamy Avocado Pesto Pasta
INGREDIENTS
- 13.5 ounces whole grain penne
- 4 cloves garlic
- juice of 1 lemon
- zest of 1 lemon
- 2 large avocados
- large handful basil leaves
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, you can add up to 4 tbsp total
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper
- 1/4 cup reserved pasta water
- grated parmesan cheese, optional
INSTRUCTIONS
- Star by boiling a pot of water on high heat.spaghetti 045
- While the water boils, get your ingredients out… garlic, lemon juice, and zest of a lemon.
- Add the 3 ingredients to the food processor and pulse until everything is blended and chopped.
- Once the water boils, follow the directions on the back of the box and cook until al dente.
- In the meantime, slice an avocado, remove the pit, and add it to the food processor. Grab a handful of basil as well.
- Add the basil, avocado, extra virgin olive oil, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper.
- Process all the ingredients until you get a smooth and creamy consistency, get the sides as well.
- Like this.
- Drain the pasta and reserve some of the starchy pasta water. Add the avocado pesto to the pasta.
- Toss well, and add the starchy pasta water, about 1/4 cup or a little more to thin out the sauce to your liking.
- Optional, top with some parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
STEP BY STEP:
1. Star by boiling a pot of water on high heat.
2. While the water boils, get your ingredients out… garlic, lemon juice, and zest of a lemon.
3. Add the 3 ingredients to the food processor and pulse until everything is blended and chopped.
4. Once the water boils, follow the directions on the back of the box and cook until al dente.
5. In the meantime, slice an avocado, remove the pit, and add it to the food processor. Grab a handful of basil as well.
6. Add the basil, avocado, extra virgin olive oil, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper.
7. Process all the ingredients until you get a smooth and creamy consistency, get the sides as well.
8. Like this.
9. Drain the pasta and reserve some of the starchy pasta water. Add the avocado pesto to the pasta. 
10. Toss well, and add the starchy pasta water, about 1/4 cup or a little more to thin out the sauce to your liking.
11. Optional, top with some parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
@Ishare (Deepti) – thank you. This dish was really good, but make sure you eat it while still warm. Thank you for your kind words.
WOW! This looks great and simply delicious. I havent tried that yet but I am sure it's gonna come out pretty good since I make veg. pasta at home already. On a different note your blog/site looks awesome. You got some great vegetarian recipes here. Keep up the good work!!! 🙂
@Amy @Cathleen – thanks guys.. it is really delicious.
This looks absolutely mouthwatering! I am in love with both pasta and pesto. This is a must try in my book
I bet this is so creamy and delicious. Avocados are so good.
@eatgood4life – this is a good recipe.. I love pasta.. but not everyday. 🙂 Thank you!
What a great idea. I have never seen this before but sure this is healthy and perhaps super yummy. I will keep this one for future reference. I love pasta all day, everyday and any day 🙂
@Stephie – haha.. it's really yummy.. who knew something so healthy could taste this good. Thank you, and of course thanks to Angela!
I've made Angela's pasta pretty much any time I've had avocados laying around recently. It is SO GOOD! Mmm, I would come over and eat this any time!
@Angie – thanks. It's pretty amazing.