Creamy Avocado Pesto Pasta

Quick, creamy pasta tossed with avocado-basil pesto and a no-cook sauce, ready in about 20 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 340 g (12 oz) spaghetti or linguine (regular or gluten-free)

→ Avocado Pesto Sauce

02 - 2 ripe avocados, peeled and pitted

03 - 1 cup (25 g) fresh basil leaves

04 - 1/3 cup (35 g) pine nuts (or walnuts for variation)

05 - 2 cloves garlic

06 - 1/3 cup (30 g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese

07 - 2 tbsp (30 ml) lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)

08 - 1/4 cup (60 ml) extra virgin olive oil

09 - Salt and black pepper, to taste

→ To Serve

10 - Extra Parmesan cheese, for garnish

11 - Fresh basil leaves, optional

12 - Lemon zest, optional

# Directions:

01 - Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water and drain the rest.

02 - While the pasta cooks, prepare the avocado pesto: In a food processor or blender, combine avocados, basil, pine nuts, garlic, Parmesan, lemon juice, and olive oil. Blend until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

03 - Return the drained pasta to the pot. Add the avocado pesto and a splash of reserved pasta water. Toss to coat the pasta evenly, adding more cooking water as needed for desired creaminess.

04 - Serve immediately, garnished with additional Parmesan, fresh basil, and lemon zest if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -

The sauce feels fancy but it comes together so fast that you’ll be sitting down before anyone can ask what's for dinner.
It's friendly with whatever pasta you love and is impressively creamy without a drop of cream.

02 -

If you don’t serve right away, the avocado can brown and lose its lovely color—avoid distractions at this last step.
I once blended the basil last out of laziness, and the flavor didn’t mix in—add greens first for best results.

03 -