Creamy Avocado Pasta Dish (Printable version)

A vibrant pasta tossed with creamy avocado sauce, fresh basil, and lemon for a refreshing meal.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz spaghetti or linguine
02 - Salt, for pasta water

→ Avocado Sauce

03 - 2 ripe avocados, halved and pitted
04 - 1 garlic clove, peeled
05 - 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
06 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
07 - 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
08 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
09 - 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
10 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Garnish

11 - Fresh basil leaves
12 - Extra grated Parmesan cheese
13 - Lemon zest (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
02 - Combine avocados, garlic, basil leaves, lemon juice, olive oil, Parmesan cheese, chili flakes (if using), salt, and pepper in a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth and creamy, adding reserved pasta water as needed to achieve desired consistency.
03 - Toss the hot drained pasta with the avocado sauce, adding more reserved pasta water if necessary to coat the noodles evenly.
04 - Divide pasta among plates. Garnish with extra Parmesan cheese, fresh basil, and a sprinkle of lemon zest if desired. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in twenty minutes without a single pan to scrub beyond your blender.
  • The sauce tastes restaurant-quality but relies on just one ripe avocado per person, no tricks needed.
  • It's naturally vegetarian but satisfying enough that nobody notices the lack of meat.
02 -
  • Buy your avocados two or three days early and let them sit on the counter—the moment they yield to thumb pressure is the exact moment you need them, and timing this perfectly changes everything.
  • That reserved pasta water is liquid gold; it's starchy enough to loosen the sauce and creamy enough to make it feel intentional, so don't skip it.
  • Serve this immediately after tossing because the sauce sets as it cools and loses some of its luxurious quality.
03 -
  • If your avocados aren't quite ripe enough, let them sit in a paper bag with a banana for a day—the ethylene gas from the banana speeds up ripening in a way that feels like a small kitchen miracle.
  • Blend the sauce while the pasta is still cooking so you can taste and adjust seasoning without any time pressure, and everything comes together hot and ready.
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