With a creamy, veggie-packed sauce, this easy Avocado Pasta is packed with kid-friendly flavor and nutrients. And the whole recipe can be made in about 10 minutes of cooking time!
Avocado Pasta
I’m always looking for delicious ways to serve up healthy fats and veggies in forms that my kids will actually eat, so I took their favorite pesto recipe and went one step farther—by adding avocado! This makes a creamy, nutrient-dense pasta sauce that pairs well with any shape or type of pasta. And it has kid-friendly flavor that we adults love too. Can’t beat that combination!
Ingredients in Avocado Pasta
To make this recipe you’ll need:
TIP: You can use any type of pasta to make this for your family, whether regular, whole wheat, or gluten-free.
How to Make Avocado Pasta Step-by-Step
Here’s an overview of this recipe so you know what to expect. Scroll down to see the details.
- Prepare your pasta.
- Place the rest of the ingredients into a food processor or blender.
- Blend smooth.
- Toss with the pasta and serve.
TIP: This takes a minute or two to fully get smooth, so stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue blending until you no longer see big pieces of seeds.
Can I make this dairy-free?
Sure, just omit the Parmesan. You may need to add more salt to get the flavor balanced.
Can I make this ahead?
You can make the sauce ahead and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or in a freezer bag with as much air removed as possible, for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or in the fridge.
What goes well with this Avocado Pasta?
We like to serve with a simple side salad or fruit. You can also add in some extra protein in the form of cooked and diced chicken, steak, ham, or shrimp, or white beans or chickpeas..
Can I pack this in a lunch?
Sure! It’s great warm or at room temperature so use an insulated thermos or a regular lunch box as you like. Add some fruit and lunch is ready!
Tips for Making the Best Avocado Pasta
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Heat slightly to serve or serve at room temperature.
- Mix in cooked and diced chicken, steak, ham, or shrimp, or white beans or chickpeas to add more protein.
- Omit the cheese and adjust the salt as needed to make dairy free.
- Use your family’s favorite type of pasta.
- Freeze the sauce by placing it into an airtight storage bag and removing as much air as possible. Seal and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or in the fridge before using.
- The sauce is also great on pizza in place of tomato-based pizza sauce.
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Any pasta shape works in this recipe, so choose your family’s favorite!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions.
- Meanwhile, add the spinach, Parmesan, sunflower seeds, avocado, lemon juice, and olive oil to a food processor or blender. Blend smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times. (Blending will take a minute or two in order to get the seeds to blend super smooth. Just keep going!)
- Stir the avocado sauce into the pasta. Serve warm or at room temperature as a pasta salad. Season to taste with salt as needed.
Notes
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Heat slightly to serve or serve at room temperature.
Mix in cooked and diced chicken, steak, ham, or shrimp, or white beans or chickpeas to add more protein.
Omit the cheese and adjust the salt as needed to make dairy free.
Use your family’s favorite type of pasta.
Freeze the sauce by placing it into an airtight storage bag and removing as much air as possible. Seal and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or in the fridge before using.
The sauce is also great on pizza in place of tomato-based pizza sauce.
Hi Amy, thanks for the tip about white beans. Though, I made the recipe yesterday and used chickpeas instead and it turned out really great and my kids loved it :-). It seems chickpeas has a very similar nutty flavor to other nuts and they are a great allergy free alternative for nuts and seeds for this recipe.
Thanks again for the inspiration Amy, be safe and have a wonderful weekend and happy Easter holidays.
This is my kind of food with all natural healthy ingredients and it makes a great breakfast too. I make something similar for me and my family, but with slightly different approach on the nuts and seeds I use. My son is allergic to almost any type of nuts, so I’m extra cautious with this.
Can I substitute the sunflower seeds with anything else that will taste similar, but is not made of nuts and seeds? Or can I just skip the seeds when making the recipe? I really want to try it out, but I’m worried about the seeds.
I haven’t tried it with anything else but you could maybe try some white beans instead? Let me know if you try it!