Creamy Avocado Pesto Pasta
Creamy vegan avocado pesto pasta is a quick and flavorful dinner you can make in just 15 minutes using simple ingredients and a food processor. Made with ripe avocado, fresh basil, kale, and a squeeze of lemon, it offers the luxurious texture of traditional pesto—without any nuts or dairy.
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Servings: 4 servings
Equipment
- 1 large pot for pasta
- 1 small food processor
Jacqui's Prep TipWeigh ingredients with a food scale for best results!
Ingredients
- 8 ounces (227 grams) gluten free pasta
- 2 ripe avocados halved, pitted and flesh scooped out
- 1 cup (24 grams) tightly packed fresh basil or large handful
- 1 cup (21 grams) tightly packed fresh baby kale or baby spinach
- ½ cup (42 grams) hemp seeds
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 lemon, zested
- 4 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or neutral oil like avocado oil
Instructions
- Cook gluten-free pasta according to package directions until al dente. Once pasta is cooked, reserve ½ cup of the pasta water, drain pasta and return to pot.8 ounces gluten free pasta
- In a food processor, combine avocado, basil, kale, hemp seeds, nutritional yeast, lemon juice and zest, garlic, and olive oil. Blend until it reaches a smooth creamy consistency.2 ripe avocados, 1 cup tightly packed fresh basil, 1 cup tightly packed fresh baby kale, ½ cup hemp seeds, 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast, 1 lemon, zested, 4 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- Toss the pasta with the avocado sauce until well coated. Add reserved pasta water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to thin if needed.
- Garnish with additional basil, a sprinkle of hemp seeds, red pepper flakes, or cherry tomatoes and serve immediately.
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Notes
- Reserve some pasta water right before you drain the pasta to loosen up the pesto if it becomes too thick.
- Add the pesto to the pasta when the pasta is hot. This will allow the past to soak up all the yummy flavors.
- Best to eat your pesto right after you make it since avocados have a tendency to brown from contact with air (oxidation).
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Be aware that the pasta may start to brown over time due to the avocado in the sauce.
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