This recipe is a game-changer.
Cream sauces are something that I normally just don’t do. It’s not that I don’t find them utterly delicious. I totally do. They simply aren’t worth it to me. As a registered dietitian I can’t keep myself from mentally computing all the calories I consume. And I’d rather save my splurges for a nice creme brulee or something else sweet and rich. 
My oldest daughter, in particular, can’t get enough cream sauces. I rarely make them for her, the poor girl. In fact, any chance she gets she’ll order fettucini alfredo in a restaurant. If they had it at McDonald’s, she’d order it.
Even though I’m very well known for modifying recipes in order to make them healthier, I can’t see the point of healthifying a good alfredo or carbonara. It is what it is. And healthy, it isn’t.
Enter this incredibly easy, 15-minute dish. All you have to cook is the spaghetti. The sauce whips up in the food processor while the pasta cooks. That’s it. Dinner is prepared.
The flavor of this pasta is incredibly similar to a creamy pesto. I call this recipe “Pesto Alfredo” in my house to avoid any dirty looks for feeding the kids avocados for dinner. If you love avocados as much as I do, or if you love pesto, I suggest you make this immediately.
Creamy Avocado Pasta
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
Description
This creamy avocado pasta is a quick and healthy alternative to traditional cream sauces, combining the richness of avocados with the fresh taste of basil and garlic.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces spaghetti
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 small garlic cloves
- 1 1/2 ripe avocados, pitted
- Juice from 1/2 lemon
- 1 teaspoon dry basil (or 1 tablespoon fresh basil)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Grated Parmesan cheese, optional
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook according to the package directions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain the spaghetti.
- While the spaghetti is cooking, add the garlic and olive oil to a food processor and process until the garlic is coarsely chopped.
- Add the avocados, lemon juice, basil, salt, and pepper to the food processor. Process until smooth and creamy, resembling the consistency of thick yogurt.
- If the sauce is too thick, add a little of the reserved pasta water, a tablespoon at a time, until the desired consistency is reached.
- Toss the cooked spaghetti with the avocado sauce until well coated. Serve immediately, topped with grated Parmesan cheese if desired.
Notes
The avocado mixture should be the consistency of a thick yogurt after processing. It will thin out when combined with the hot pasta. This can be easily turned into a vegan recipe by omitting the cheese. Serve immediately for the best texture, as the avocado sauce can brown if left out too long.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 2
- Sodium: 200
- Fat: 18
- Carbohydrates: 56
- Fiber: 7
- Protein: 10
- Cholesterol: 0
Is olive oil supposed to be on there twice??
This recipe is everything you said it would be. Quick AND delicious.
Thanks.
I plan to make this recipe tonight; looks fairly straightforward. I’m all for healthy foods but feel that so long as one doesn’t overdo it, avoiding extra calories and such is something one should consider only for themselves.
You’re a dietician and your daughter eats at McDonald’s? That’s peculiar…but then, she’s probably a pre-teen or a teenager and we have to know that our kids will choose their own lives…and cuisine…usually a zillion miles in the opposite direction of their parents’ preferences. You’re a dietician? Ha ha–and we know which direction a kid of yours will take…at least until she ‘figures things out’ on her own.
I tend to cook ‘gourmet’ meals a goodly amount of the time, though I take care to avoid excessive intake of creamy foods, extra carbs, and sugars. Not sure if this qualifies me as a healthy eater or not…but I’ve continued to cook and bake non-healthy (i.e. gourmet foods with discretion) things like tarts and pies and such. I exercise, I continue to maintain my preferred weight, even as I may choose to eschew whole wheat, soymilk, etc.
My thinking is simply that…even if I make a tart, I don’t eat ALL OF IT. If I cook a nice meal, I eat it all but it’s never falling off the plate. Moderation is the key…not being exreme…at least for me.
I will return to your site sometime…interesting views!
I’ve made this several times and never had any problem with browning. The lime and the milk both help inhibit the oxidation. I’m not sure how long it will last, though. Better to make and serve immediately.
Julie,
Thank you for sharing this recipe. It’s perfect for my family because we go through so many avocados… and I love how easy it is!!
I have to ask… are there any issues with browning?? It is, after all, avocado….