Avocado Basil Pesto Pasta Sauce (Low Fat)

This creamy avocado pesto sauce is a delicious, easy to make, all-season accompaniment to pasta.  It requires few ingredients and is ready in minutes.

I find that when it comes to family meals simplicity is key.  An ideal weeknight family dinner should be quick and easy, as well as delicious and healthy.  With this simple vegetarian avocado pesto sauce recipe this can be easily achieved.  You can have a fantastic meal made from scratch without spending hours in the kitchen!

The only ingredient that requires cooking in this recipe is the pasta!  And while your pasta is bubbling away you can prepare the sauce.  So that by the time the pasta comes out of the pot you can toss it straight into the sauce.

Why this recipe works

The avocado effectively replaces the oil in this recipe, making this pesto sauce creamy but still light. And lower in calories than classic pesto.  This also means that you can add a generous amount of the sauce into your pasta!

This sauce works with different pasta shapes including fusilli, penne, tagliatelle, spaghetti or bow tie pasta (farfalle), which I chose for this recipe.  So use your favourite!

You can make this pesto sauce as thick or runny as you like by adjusting the amount of water in the recipe.

This sauce has all the classic basil pesto flavours you love. 

Avocado pesto ingredients

The suggested proportions in this recipe are flexible and you can adjust them to your liking.  For example, you could use a little more cheese for a stronger, more savoury flavour, or more basil if you like.

I used a very small amount of lemon juice in this recipe (mainly to ensure the sauce doesn't change colour) but you could add a little more if you prefer more sourness in your pesto.

Use Parmigiano-Reggiano, Grana Padano, Pecorino Romano or another similar strong cheese. 

Step-by-step recipe instructions

1.Start by boiling the pasta in salted water.

In a small pan dry toast the pine nuts until golden brown stirring frequently. Remove from the pan right away (if you don't they'll become too brown) and set aside to cool for a couple of minutes.

2. Place the avocado flesh, oil, lemon juice and some of the water in a blender and puree.

3. Add the basil, garlic, cheese and pine nuts into the blender.

4. Whiz until well combined but not completely smooth.  Top up with more water if needed (you can use pasta water), adjust the seasoning and serve.

Expert tips and FAQs

• Start making the pesto when your pasta is boiling.  Save some of the pasta water to add into your pesto if needed.
• Dry toast the pine nuts in a pan for more flavour before adding into the sauce.  You could also use sunflower seeds.
• Serving suggestions: This sauce works with different pasta shapes including fusilli, penne, tagliatelle, spaghetti or bow tie pasta (farfalle).  So use your favourite! I used about 300 g (3 cups) of raw pasta, enough for 4 people. Serve your avocado pesto pasta with roasted cherry tomatoes for added colour and flavour.
• Best served immediately.  Store leftovers in an air tight container for up to a few hours only (the sauce will eventually become darker).
• Not suitable for freezing.

How else can you use avocado pesto sauce

This versatile sauce can also be served as a dip (if you add less water) with fresh crusty homemade sun dried tomato bread or raw vegetables.  Add it into roasted pepper oregano pasta, serve with cornflake chicken nuggets, chicken meatballs or chicken tenders.

You might also like

• Pesto Zoodles Salad Recipe
• Roasted Asparagus Pesto Pasta
• Easy Pesto Chicken Pasta Bake Recipe
• Easy Sundried Tomato Pesto Recipe

Check out also this collection of healthy vegetarian pasta meals.

Keep in touch!

If you make this avocado pesto I'd love to know how it turned out for you. What pasta shapes did you serve it with? Let me know in the comments below, thanks!

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