15-Minute Vegan Avocado Pasta

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

It is a quick no-cook sauce. Pasta is one of the fastest things you can make for dinner. Sometimes you don’t have time to simmer a sauce on the stove to go with it. Here you can use a food processor to do the work.

Avocados are a superstar ingredient for so many reasons. They add creaminess and richness to this vegan sauce, all while being full of vitamins, good fats and nutrition. Think of it as a healthy version of a cream sauce.

From avocado toast to guacamole, there are so many ways to use avocados. Why not add pasta to that list? This recipe celebrates all the things you can do with an avocado and takes advantage of this tasty and convenient ingredient.

The Ingredients

This is what you need:

• Avocado: The recipe calls for one ripe avocado. There is no 100% foolproof way to tell if an avocado is ripe, but there are a few good signs. Look for dark green skin. When you gently press it, a ripe avocado should have some softness and give. Also, the stem should be easy to remove, but still green underneath.
• Pasta: Long noodles are great with creamy sauces. You can use spaghetti, bucatini, fettuccine, tagliatelle or pappardelle. Avoid angel hair pasta because it is too thin and delicate.
• Arugula is the second most important ingredient in the sauce, just behind avocado of course. Baby arugula is pleasantly peppery and adds more vibrant green color. 
• Garlic: Including 2 garlic cloves, gives the right amount of fresh garlic flavor.
• Lemon is fresh, zesty and citrusy. Even though lime juice is more typically paired with avocados, lemon juice works with them too.
• Red pepper flakes, salt & pepper season the sauce.
• Olive oil: Use high-quality extra virgin olive oil for the best taste. This is especially important because this is a no-cook sauce. It is the same advice that I would give for making vinaigrette for a salad.
• Fresh herbs: You can finish the pasta with chopped fresh parsley or minced chives or a mix of both.

Optional Additions

You can toss more ingredients into the pasta. This is actually a great way to use leftovers raw or roasted ones. Think about what’s in season.

• Arugula: You can stir baby arugula leaves into the finished pasta dish.
• Tomatoes: Try either halved cherry tomatoes or diced tomatoes. If they are raw, they need to be nice and ripe, so this would be best do during the summer and peak tomato season. Roasted tomatoes would be great too. 
• Sweet corn: You can use canned corn, just drain and rinse it. You won’t need the entire can. If you have some grilled or roasted corn that would be even better.
• Roasted vegetables are a good addition especially during the fall and winter months. Roasted sweet potatoes, butternut squash or brussels sprouts are all options. During the summer, add roasted zucchini or bell peppers.
• Protein: You can add roasted or grilled chicken or shrimp or baked tofu.
• Parmesan cheese: Depending if you need the recipe to be vegan, use regular parmesan or a dairy-free, plant-based version.

How To Make Avocado Pasta

1. Cook the pasta until al dente. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Follow the recommended cook time on the package. Save a 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water before you drain it.

2. Put the ingredients for the avocado pasta sauce in a food processor. That includes the avocado, arugula, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.

3. Puree the sauce until it is smooth and combined. It will blend together very quickly.

4. Stir the pasta and avocado sauce together with a splash of pasta water. You probably won’t need the entire half cup. You want the sauce to be silky and coat the noodles. Garnish the pasta with chopped herbs.

Storage & Leftovers

You can keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days. The lemon juice should prevent it from browning. Reheat leftovers in the microwave or in a skillet with a little olive oil over low heat. 

Recipe Tips

Make sure the avocado is very ripe. As mentioned, it should be soft. This is the best way for the sauce to have a creamy consistency.

Use fresh lemon juice. For every recipe with citrus, never substitute with bottled juice. Slice a lemon in half and squeeze it.

Don’t overcook the pasta. It should be al dente and have some texture and bite to it. Follow the cook time on the package instructions.

This is a quick recipe, so have all ingredients prepped and ready. You can make the avocado sauce while the pasta cooks.

More Easy Pasta Recipes

Rigatoni & Tomato Sauce
Lemon Pepper Spaghetti
Burst Tomato Pasta
Vegan Creamy Tomato Spinach Pasta
Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta
Roasted Brussels Sprout Pasta

More Avocado Recipes

Southwestern Pasta Salad
Grilled Corn and Avocado with Cilantro Pesto
Veggie Fajita Bowls
Chipotle Roasted Cauliflower Tacos
Caprese Avocado Toast