This Pasta with Avocado Cream Sauce is mouthwateringly delicious, simple, and is ready in under 20 minutes! A great weeknight meal for the whole family.
Avocados are so versatile. You can puree them and spread them on toast, make guacamole, toss them in a salad, add them to smoothies, or even eat them raw. Or, you can use them to make this creamy, drool-worthy pasta with avocado cream sauce. The 6-ingredient creamy avocado sauce is so simple and will be ready by the time it takes to boil your pasta!
This creamy avocado pasta makes the perfect quick weeknight dinner. It takes less than 20 minutes from start to finish and only requires a blender, a boiling pot, and a skillet. You can add your favourite toppings to make this dish even more filling and flavorful.
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Ingredients and Variations
Avocados - obviously! Make sure to use ripe avocados which will blend nicely and smoothly for that creamy sauce.
Fresh/Heavy Cream - If you don't have heavy cream, you can substitute with plain yogurt or sour cream. For a vegan version, substitute with coconut milk or coconut cream.
Garlic - Garlic is what really elevates the flavor of this creamy sauce. You will need 1-2 garlic cloves.
Cilantro/Parsley - A handful of fresh parsley or cilantro for a tangy kick. If using cilantro, make sure to use the stems.
Lime/Lemon Juice - You will need the juice of 1 lemon (or 2 limes). This will not only provide a citrusy flavor boost, but will also prevent your avocado sauce from turning brown too quickly.
Chilli - This is optional but nice to have for a spicy kick. Use either fresh chilli pepper or a pinch of dried chilli flakes.
Pasta - You can use any type of dry pasta here. Just make sure to reserve some pasta water right before draining your pasta. This will thicken the sauce and help it stick to the pasta.
Topping - Although this creamy avocado pasta is already delicious on its own, you can add other toppings to this dish, such as tomatoes, corn, grilled chicken, bacon or pancetta, or smoked salmon - the choices are endless! I love adding some sauteed tomatoes - it's simple, healthy, and makes for a more filling lunch or dinner. Feel free to top with some freshly grated parmesan cheese or grana padano for a cheesy flavor!
How to Make Avocado Cream Sauce Pasta
- Cook the Pasta
Boil your pasta until "al dente". Make sure to reserve ⅓ to ½ cup of pasta water before draining. Whilst the pasta is boiling, prepare the sauce. - Make the Avocado Cream Sauce
Blend avocados, garlic cloves, lime/lemon juice, chilli (if using), heavy cream and parsley (or cilantro) in a food processor until smooth. This will take 1-2 minutes of blending.
If the mixture is too thick, add 1-2 tbsp. of cream. Finally, season with salt and pepper to taste. - Prepare the Topping
If making this with cherry tomatoes, heat some olive oil in a saucepan and sautee halved tomatoes until softened (around 5 minutes). - Combine Pasta and Sauce
Place blended avocado mixture into a clean skillet (make sure it's clean - do not use the same skillet that you used for tomatoes or other toppings as the sauce will immediately turn brown!). Add a ladleful of reserved pasta water and bring to a simmer. The sauce will start to thicken as it simmers. Toss in cooked pasta and mix well to coat with the sauce. - Serve
Serve creamy avocado pasta with your favourite topping (or on its own) and some freshly grated parmesan cheese!
FAQs
While this avocado cream pasta is best served fresh, you can make it ahead or store any leftover pasta mixed with avocado sauce in an airtight container in a refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat the pasta in the microwave before serving.
Please note, there might be some browning of the avocado sauce - this occurs due to the oxidization process (similar to browning of apples or bananas once exposed to air). However, this should not affect the overall taste of the sauce.
Yes! You can freeze blended avocado cream sauce mixture (without the pasta) for up to 2 months. Since the mixture contains heavy cream, make sure to store it in an airtight container or double wrapped with plastic wrap and then in foil.
Thaw the avocado cream mixture in a refrigerator overnight before reheating and mixing with pasta.
To make this vegan, switch heavy cream with coconut milk or coconut cream and eliminate the parmesan cheese at the end.
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Pasta with Avocado Cream Sauce
Ingredients
Avocado Cream Sauce
- 2 ripe avocados peeled, pitted and chopped
- 100-120 mL fresh cream (approx. ⅓ to ½ cup) see notes for vegan
- 1-2 garlic cloves
- handful fresh parsley or cilantro
- juice from 1-2 limes or juice of 1 lemon
- ¼ to ½ small chilli pepper or ¼ to ½ tsp. dried chilli (optional)
- salt and pepper to taste
Pasta
- 320 g dry pasta
- 120 mL reserved pasta water (½ cup)
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 150 g cherry tomatoes or plum/grape tomatoes, halved
- freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Boil pasta in salted water until al dente. Reserve ⅓ to ½ cup of pasta water before draining pasta. Whilst the pasta is boiling, prepare the avocado mixture.
- Place avocados, garlic, lime juice, chilli (if using), parsley (or cilantro) in a food processor. Start by adding around 100 mL (⅓ cup) of cream and blend for 1-2 minutes until smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add 1-2 tbsp. of cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Heat olive oil in a small saucepan and saute cherry tomatoes for 5-6 minutes until softened and slightly browned. Set aside.
- In a large clean saucepan (do not use the same saucepan used for tomatoes or the sauce will turn brown), place blended avocado mixture and ⅓ to ½ cup of reserved pasta water. Stir well and bring to a simmer (1-2 minutes).
- Toss in cooked pasta and coat well with sauce. Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese and cherry tomatoes.
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