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
- Zoodle Egg Nests with Parsley Pesto
- Roasted Asparagus Pesto Pasta
- Easy Pesto Chicken Pasta Bake Recipe
- Easy Sundried Tomato Pesto Recipe
Check out also this collection of over 12 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!
Follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for regular recipe updates! Or you could subscribe to this blog and receive all my latest recipes right into your mailbox!
Avocado Basil Pesto Pasta Sauce (Low Fat)
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
- 120 g avocado flesh approx. 1 medium avocado
- 20 g fresh basil leaves finely chopped
- 15 g Parmigiano-Romano cheese or similar, finely grated, ensure it's vegetarian
- 1 garlic clove finely chopped
- 2 tbsp pine nuts
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 6 tbsp water add gradually, see Instructions
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- 300 g raw pasta enough for 4
Instructions
- Start by boiling the pasta (approx. 300 g, enough for 4) in salted water (al dente, according to packet instructions).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.
- Place the avocado flesh, oil, lemon juice and some of the water in the blender and puree.
- Add the basil, garlic, cheese and pine nuts into the blender. 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.
Notes
- 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) or raw pasta, enough for 4. 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.
- Cook time refers to boiling the pasta.
- Nutrition facts apply to the pesto sauce only (without the pasta).
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is automatically generated and should be considered as an estimate.
**A note about baking: If using a fan-assisted oven refer to your appliance's instructions and adjust the temperature accordingly.
This dish looks great an a healthy simple twist on a traditional concept. Trying this weekend thank you
Thank you! Hope you like it:)
Delicious dish. My mouth waters every time I look at it. Thanks for entering it into Meat Free Mondays. I featured your recipe and stumbled, pinned, yummed & tweeted.
Could you possibly link to the challenge in your post next time please?
Thank you so much, really sorry I forgot to include the link, I've done it now
Welcome to Yum Goggle! We are following you on all your social media and hope you will follow us back. We will do our best to tag you each time we promote your posts. Kelli at YG! P.S. - this is my most favorite dish of all time and yours looks delish!!
Thanks! I have followed you too:)
It looks fresh and delicious. I will add a bay leaf in the water next time I'm boiling pasta, it's a great idea.
Thanks! I also boil potatoes with a bay leaf:)
I love the look of this Monika, it's so vibrant and easy to rustle up too. I like the idea to cook the pasta with a bay leaf - something I'll definitely have to try.
Angela x
Thank you, Angela! I often boil potatoes with a bay leaf too, they taste nice:)
Oooh Monika, you know this is my kind of recipe! Quick, healthy..and I am sure delicious! What's not to like? I love the addition of roasted tomatoes too - I can imagine that would be such a great contrast to the flavours of the pesto. Pinning this one on my must make board!! Thanks for linking up to #CookBlogShare 🙂 Eb x
Thanks Eb! I am glad there are other people who love green herby foods as much as me:)
ooooh this sounds interesting and what a great colour the sauce gives the pasta. i must give this a try, thank you x
Thank you! I also think colour is important in food, makes it look more appealing:)
Thanks! Glad you liked it:)