This post features my avocado pesto pasta recipe and affiliate links.
As a pasta addict, going gluten-free was a challenge. I still love and miss pasta as I once knew it.
Fortunately, I have come to adjust my tastebuds to liking many gluten-free pasta brands, and I have even learned how to make my own gluten-free pasta from scratch using two ingredients (one of my most popular recipes to date!).
Inspired by the Oh She Glows cookbook, which I highly recommend, I developed this gluten-free avocado pesto pasta recipe. It’s vegan and nut-free, and oh-so delicious too!
Ingredients Matter
Let’s talk about the ingredients in this wonderful avocado pesto pasta recipe:
(1) Pasta: Of course you need to use gluten-free pasta. You are welcome to make your own, or try one that is store-bought. My personal favorite gluten-free pasta is Tinkyada. I don’t work with the brand and never have, but I do enjoy their products a lot. They make a brown rice pasta that contains just brown rice flour and water. The texture is quite good and close to how I remember pasta tasting before I went gluten-free almost seven years ago.
You could also use any gluten-free pasta of choice. Trader Joe’s makes an amazing gluten-free egg pasta that I love very much, and finding a pasta you love is really up to your tastes and preferences. You could use a pasta alternative, like a bean pasta from Explore Asian, Miracle Noodles (made from mushrooms) or zucchini noodles for an even healthier version of this recipe.
(2) Avocado: You will want a large, ripe avocado to make this pasta dish. You know an avocado is ripe when it’s dark in color and soft (but not too soft) to the touch.
To ripen an avocado, leave it on your counter for a few days. If your avocado ripens too quickly, simply put it in the fridge. The cold air will slow the ripening process and make the avocado last longer (or until you’re ready to use it).
Avocados are one of the best sources of healthy fats on the planet. Remember, healthy fats, like the omega-3 fatty acids found in avocados, are good for you and your brain, so load up! Don’t even look at the fat or calorie content; your body knows how to assign all the nutrients found inside an avocado with little effort or waste.
(3) Fresh Basil Leaves: Look for some fresh basil leaves at your grocery store (or if it’s the summer, grow some or get it a your local farmer’s markets). Doesn’t this dish make you wish summer was here sooner?!?
(4) Lemon: You’ll enjoy both the juice and zest of the lemons in this recipe. I recommend first zesting the lemon before juicing it. It’s just easier to zest a lemon when it’s intact, but not required.
(5) Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Olive oil makes everything taste wonderful and adds delicious, healthy fats to the dish. Use a high quality EVOO to elevate the flavor of this simple pasta dish.
Sprouts provided me with wonderful EVOO from Cobram Estates awhile back as a gift. I must say it tasted delicious in this recipe and I love this EVOO!
Avocado Pesto Pasta Recipe
Before you give this recipe a try, please note that it’s highly addicting! You may want to double the recipe and make your life easier from the start.
I made the recipe for myself, but my family ended up wanting it too. It was enough to serve two people, but not four. So double it up if you have little people in your house (aka, kids) who eat all your yummy gluten-free food.
What I love about this recipe is its simplicity. Just a few delicious, whole ingredients come together beautifully to create a very tasty and satisfying vegan and gluten-free lunch or dinner. Oh, and the dish is gorgeously green, too! Enjoy.
Avocado Pesto Pasta
Ingredients
- 9 ounces gluten-free spaghetti or pasta of choice I recommend Tinkyada brand for the best texture
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
- 4 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 ripe avocado, pitted
- 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
- Fresh ground pepper, to taste
- Lemon zest, for serving
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to instructions on the package. Drain and set aside.
- While pasta is cooking, add garlic and basil to a food processor and pulse together 10-12 times.
- Add lemon juice, oil, avocado flesh and 1 tablespoon water and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Combine sauce with pasta and top with lemon zest.
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