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–+ servings
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 20 minutes

Creamy Avocado Pesto Pasta

A fast and easy pasta dish with penne pasta (or another fave pasta shape) in a ridiculously creamy and flavorful avocado pesto sauce. Only 20 minutes to make and a super short list of ingredients!
Yield: 4

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces penne pasta or another favorite pasta; we also like this with spaghetti
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts divided
  • 1 ripe avocado pitted and peeled
  • 2 cups kale leaves ribs removed and torn into medium pieces
  • 2 medium cloves garlic
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes more or less to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt + more to taste

Equipment

  • High-speed blender such as Vitamix, for making the sauce
  • Large pot for cooking the pasta
  • Skillet for toasting the pine nuts

Instructions

  • Cook pasta according to package instructions. RESERVE 1 CUP OF THE WATER YOU COOKED THE PASTA IN.
  • While the pasta cooks, toast the pine nuts. Place in a skillet over medium heat and cook, stirring frequently, until just beginning to brown, about 3 minutes.
  • Add 2 tablespoons of the toasted pine nuts to a pitcher of a high-powered blender along with the avocado, kale, garlic, lemon juice, crushed red pepper flakes, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Puree until completely smooth, adding more water, about 1 tablespoon at a time, if needed to keep it moving.
  • Add cooked and drained pasta to your serving bowl. Pour the avocado-kale sauce over the top. Toss to combine. Top with remaining pine nuts. Serve immediately.

Notes

We have found that this recipe does NOT keep well - so be sure to eat it all when you make it! I know - tough job, but somebody has to do it.

Meat option:

Top carnivores' portions with a few slices of grilled chicken breast.

Gluten-free option:

Swap in your favorite gluten-free pasta. I love brown rice pasta.
More adaptations/substitutions:
Pasta: Use your favorite pasta shape. Keep it to 8 ounces of whichever pasta you use. Brown rice pasta, whole wheat pasta, white pasta are all great, just use whichever you like.
Pine nuts: Feel free to swap in another seed or nut. Cashews, pecans, walnuts, and pepitas are all wonderful. Pepitas even have the added bonus of being green, too!
Sauce: I recommend keeping the avocado no matter what because it's key to the creamy sauce. But feel free to swap in different greens and/or herbs. Basil, parsley, arugula, spinach ... all delicious.

Dietary Adaptations

This green pasta is vegetarian, dairy-free, and vegan as-is.
To make it gluten-free, just swap in GF pasta.
For the carnivores, you can add meat - such as grilled chicken - to the carnivores' portions really easily.
For a lower glycemic load, everyone's different, but I've found using whole wheat pasta helps keep my blood sugar more balanced as compared to white pasta, due to the higher protein and fiber content in whole wheat pasta. More information here

Scaling this Recipe

This pasta in green sauce recipe is easily doubled or halved; just double or half the ingredients. Use a large pot to cook the pasta if you're doubling it; you'll want lots of room!
Adapted from Oh She Glows
Update notes:
This recipe was first posted on Kitchen Treaty on 3/6/2017 and was updated on 2/29/2024 with nutrition info and more adaptation/substitution information.

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1cup, Calories: 355kcal, Carbohydrates: 49g, Protein: 10g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Sodium: 305mg, Potassium: 472mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 1144IU, Vitamin C: 18mg, Calcium: 50mg, Iron: 2mg