Last updated on March 13th, 2018 at 09:31 am
Creamy Avocado and Spinach Pasta – a creamy sauce made with avocados, spinach, basil and pecans. A super healthy and delicious pasta dish, eat without guilt.
Avocados seem to be my latest passion. I buy them by the dozen and then put them in everything. Wraps, salads and now pasta dishes. Although some people may be afraid of them because they do have quite a bit of fat, but that doesn’t mean they are bad for you. Quite the opposite. Avocados are great for you and they have healthy fats, called monounsaturated fat which reduces levels of bad cholesterol in your blood and lowers your risk of stroke and heart diseases. If that didn’t convince you, they also have quite a bit of protein, very low sugar and are an excellent source of potassium. But my favorite part of all, 1 medium avocado contains 11 grams of fiber, can you believe that? That’s almost half of the daily recommended minimum intake. So I say one avocado a day keeps the doctor away.
MY LATEST VIDEOSBut why stop there? To make this creamy avocado sauce even healthier for you I added a bunch of spinach. Now we all know the health benefits of spinach, it has high nutritional value and very rich in antioxidants. But spinach doesn’t stop there. I was just reading about this recently and there have been multiple studies that show that spinach helps combat many cancers, helps boost eye health and has strong anti-ageing properties.
I can go on and on and talk about the benefits of avocados and spinach, but why bother. All you need to know is that not only is this sauce good for you, it tastes freaking amazing. It’s like a pesto almost because I added some pecans and a bit of Parmesan cheese too, but no oil whatsoever because you don’t need it. You get all the creaminess from that great avocado. This sauce should be bottled and sold, it’s money. I have to think of more ways to use this because it’s simply amazing. It’s crazy good. As I was eating this I was thinking I should feel guilty because here I am eating a bowl of creamy pasta, but I had to keep reminding myself that it’s good for me. But it felt so bad. But it was so good.
To make this even better you could use gluten free pasta or whole wheat pasta, whatever you wish.
I also love the bright green color of this sauce, it’s so purrty. I just love the color green in my food. It looks healthy. It is healthy. Of course if you were to skip the spinach, you might not get that bright green color, so the spinach definitely helps.
The best thing about this pasta dish is that the only cooking required is for you to boil the pasta. The rest, my friends, no cooking required. All you need is a blender and a bowl.
Needless to say it’s all gone and now writing this post and looking at these pictures I wish that I still had a bowl of this so I can stuff my face with it. It’s a bowl of health. Totally delish and super good for you.
Another similar pasta you can try is this Arugula and Walnut Pesto Pasta.
If you try this recipe, please let us know! Leave a comment, rate it and tag a photo #jocooks on Instagram so we can see it. I always love to see what you guys come up with!
Creamy Avocado and Spinach Pasta - a creamy sauce made with avocados, spinach, basil and pecans. A super healthy and delicious pasta dish, eat without guilt.
- 10 oz spaghetti dry, or fettuccine, I used semolina pasta
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 avocado
- 1 cup spinach fresh
- 1/2 cup pecans
- 1/4 cup basil
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 1 tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 3/4 to 1 cup pasta water
- 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
- 1/2 tsp pepper or to taste
Cook pasta: Cook the pasta according to the package instructions.
Make the avocado sauce: Add the rest of the ingredients to your blender and blend until it turns into a smooth sauce. Start with 3/4 cup of pasta water and add more as needed to get the consistency you want.
Assemble: Toss the pasta with the sauce in a bowl and serve immediately. This sauce is best served the day it is made, as it uses avocados which will turn a brownish color.
How do I store leftovers: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 day, but keep in mind that because of the avocado pesto, it will change color and might turn brownish.
Can I use any other types of nuts: Yes you can, but you will need some sort of nuts in this sauce. You can use pine nuts, walnuts, pistachios or almonds.
Can I add chicken to this: Yes, for sure. Adding some cooked chicken would be a great protein to add to this dish.
Nutrition: Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
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Looks healthy and yummy
I tryed this recipe pasta, I’m Italian and I really know how to cook the best recipes pasta ever.
I onestly think that this recipe is simply amazing!!! it tastes amazing, It’s crazy good!!
Compliments to the chef JO that has invented. Everyone will LOVE it !!
I will keep it on my best recipes.
Regards from Italy ;)))) Thank you!
She is an amazing cook! So glad you’re loving the blog. Cheers from Canada!
Can you hear this in a pot to make it warm?
You can, but it will still brown a bit.
Will this feed 2 people?
There are 4 servings in the recipe.
Hi! Does the avocado in the pasta recipe oxidize and turn brown? Thx so much!
Yeah it will, that’s why this is best served fresh.
Jo! i would have blended in some pickled arthichoke hearts into that gorgeous concoction too!
I can’t eat any kind of nuts, can I omit them all together?
The nuts are there to give the sauce a bit of texture, so if you can find something else to give it that texture go ahead.
I would try garbanzo beans (aka chick peas) in place of the nuts
The pasta looks so good~ and it sounds so easy to make! Thank you so much!! I also love avocado, I like putting it in every dishes. I will definitely try the recipe!
Can I skip the basil?
Sure.
What am I happy that I‘ve found you!!!
Dear Jo, this must be the best ever Pasta I have eaten in my life!!!! We love it! It -again as with the Jambalaya- pleased my picky eight-year-old!
Kind regards from Germany,
Astrid
PS: I‘m not on Instagram, otherwise I would certainly post a photo…..
Are you facebook share it there, I’d love to see it!
This was so good! My hubby, 4 year old & 2 year old all loved it!!!
Did you use fresh basil in this?
Yes!
This fabulous recipe was my first introduction to ‘Jo’ and It was FABULOUS!!!!! I sauteed up some prawns in garlic, butter & chili flakes while the pasta was cooking and it was delish!
I have a question regarding using gluten free pasta and using pasta water in the sauce… If I make this with GF pasta, I’m always told to rinse the pasta immediately after cooking due to all the gummy starches etc… does this gummy pasta water affect the dish?
Oh and by the way, had leftovers & nothing turned brown … win/win!!!
Thanks Jo!!! nice to meet you!
Hi Penelope! So glad you liked this dish! I don’t use GF pasta often, but I always rinse my pasta, I don’t know, it’s just something my mom always did and so I do too. I do use pasta water in sauces all the time, because it’s great for thickening sauces, adds lots of flavor to your sauces, plus it helps glue the pasta and sauce together.
I just used gluten free pasta. Also used the water and didn’t immediately drain my pasta while I was making the sauce. Didn’t rinse the pasta either. Nothing was gummy at all!
How important are the pecans in the base of the sauce? My BF hates nuts 😫 Would you recommend replacing it was an alternative of similar consistency or will it probably be okay sand pecans?
Sans * pecans haha
I think you need some kind of nuts, you can use pine nuts or any nut you prefer.
I wonder how some chicken would taste thrown into it? We don’t really like avacado but because of the health benefits are trying to find ways we might like it. This will be our first try!
Some chicken would be great Sandy, you could really just grill some chicken and serve it over this pasta.
This was fantastic! We put the left over sauce in a bowl and covered with a layer of sour cream (I’m sure you could also use greek yogurt) to keep it from turning brown. It worked perfectly and we enjoyed it the next day with chips!
Wonderful recipe! A family favorite. A great way to get my kid to eat spinach!
Is this pasta best served hot or cold?
Usually I serve it right after I finish cooking it, so it’s still a bit warm but not really hot.