Avocado Pasta Sauce

Course: Pasta

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 20

Servings: people

Calories: 705kcal

Author: Platings and Pairings

This velvety Avocado Pasta Sauce blends ripe avocados, fresh herbs, and zesty lime into a vibrant, luxurious sauce. Ready in minutes, it transforms ordinary pasta into something truly special.

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Equipment

Ingredients

1 pound spaghetti or other favorite pasta shape

Avocado Sauce

2 ripe avocados halved, pitted and peeled
½ cup fresh basil leaves
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 cloves garlic peeled
1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
¼ cup olive oil

For Serving

Instructions

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well RESERVING 1 CUP of the pasta cooking liquid.
To make the avocado sauce, combine avocados, basil, lemon juice, garlic and salt in the bowl of a food processor. With the motor running, stream in the olive oil until emulsified. Taste and season with additional salt.
Toss the cooked pasta with the avocado sauce, adding some of the pasta cooking liquid as needed, to loosen the sauce. Serve with your desired garnishes. Enjoy!

Notes

Storing

While this creamy avocado sauce is best enjoyed fresh, it will keep well in the fridge for up to three days, retaining its vibrant color and bright flavor thanks to the lime juice and vinegar, which help slow oxidation.
To minimize browning, press a sheet of plastic wrap directly onto the surface before sealing it in an airtight container, eliminating as much air as possible. This extra step helps preserve that lush green hue a little longer.
When ready to serve, give the sauce a good stir. If it’s thickened in the fridge, a drizzle of olive oil or a splash of lemon juice will bring back its silky texture.
Unfortunately, freezing isn’t recommended, as the thawing process can compromise the sauce’s creaminess.

Tips and tricks

Always taste the avocado pasta sauce after processing the ingredients together. You may find that you want to adjust the flavor by adding a kick of heat with a touch of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes, more lemon juice to balance the richness, or mix in additional salt.
Adjust the consistency of the sauce to your liking. Stir in more pasta water for a thinner sauce without diluting any flavor. Likewise, mix in more mashed avocado or mix in some plain Greek yogurt for a thicker sauce.
Don’t forget to reserve pasta water as you may need to use it to loosen the avocado sauce when combining it with the cooked pasta. The pasta water is flavorful and won’t dilute the flavor of the sauce like plain water would.
Make a double batch of avocado pasta sauce and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. Stir leftover avocado sauce with additional liquid (if needed) as it will naturally thicken in the fridge and the ingredients may also separate.
Use frozen avocado chunks to make this sauce. It’s often cheaper when bought in bulk and will work well in this recipe once thawed.
Freeze excess basil. If you have more basil in the kitchen than you can make avocado pasta sauce with, check out my guide on how to freeze basil to preserve it for months.
Instead of fresh garlic, use roasted garlic for a mellow savory flavor.
Cook your pasta just short of al dente. I like to cook my pasta for about a minute less than the package directions call for. The pasta will continue to cook as it’s tossed with the avocado pasta sauce, and we don’t want it becoming mushy. I cooked my spaghetti for about 8 minutes.

Variations

Use different herbs - Swap the basil for another fresh herb, like cilantro or parsley for a green goddess vibe. Avocado cilantro sauce would be equally delicious with pasta.
Blend with another acid - Swap out the fresh lemon juice for another acidic liquid, such as lime juice, white or apple cider vinegar.
Alternative prep and cooking - No food processor or blender? No problem! Mash the avocado with a fork, mince the garlic and basil, then whisk everything together for a rustic, but still delicious, avocado basil sauce. For small batches, use an immersion blender in a jar or measuring cup.
Make it spicy - Mix in some deseeded jalapeños, another mild green chili, or turn up the heat even further with a serrano pepper!
Avocado pasta sauce with chicken: Stir in some cooked shredded chicken or sliced chicken breasts.
Avocado pasta sauce with salmon: Top your bowls of pasta with a salmon filet or some flaked salmon.
Shrimp: Some sauteed shrimp would be delicious in this recipe.

Nutrition