Creamy Avocado Pesto Pasta

HomeRecipesDietLow SodiumCreamy Avocado Pesto Pasta

Total Time: 1 h

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Cook Time: 25 min

Prep Time: 35 min

Nutrition Facts

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Nutrition information
per serving

Calories 290

Total Fat 18g

Saturated Fat 2.5g

Trans Fat 0g

Polyunsaturated Fat 3g

Monounsaturated Fat 11g

Cholesterol 0mg

Sodium 135mg

Total Carbs 31g

Dietary Fiber 7g

Total Sugars 5g

Protein 7g

Potassium 600mg

Vitamin A 2800 IU; Vitamin C 132 mg; Calcium 89 mg; Iron 3 mg; Vitamin D 3 IU; Folate 90 mcg; Omega 3 Fatty Acid 0 g

% Daily Value*: Vitamin A 60%; Vitamin C 220%; Calcium 8%; Iron15 %; Vitamin D 0%

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

This dish contains an array of my favorite things: pasta, avocado, veggies, and basil. And if you’re a pesto lover, like my family, you’ll wonder why you never thought of blending a California avocado with this sauce years ago! Besides an incredible avocado basil pasta flavor and creamy texture, you can feel free to improvise and add little more or less of each component or even include your own personal faves. Nutritionally, this dish is a nutrition power house with a high potency of vitamins C (220% DV) and K (270 % DV), an excellent source of vitamin A (60% DV) and Fiber (28% DV) and a good source of potassium (17% DV).

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Serves: 8

Ingredients
Instructions

Avocado Pesto Sauce 1 bunch of fresh basil 1 bunch of fresh parsley 1/4 cup pistachios 5 cloves garlic 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated 1/4 cup avocado oil 1/2 cup ripe, Fresh California Avocado, halved, seeded, and peeled 1/8 tsp. salt, or to taste 1/8 tsp. pepper, or to taste Pasta 1/8 tsp. salt 1 lb. whole wheat pasta (or your favorite pasta) 2 Tbsp. avocado oil 1 small white onion, chopped 6 cloves garlic, minced 1 (8 oz.) package of pre-sliced Portabella mushrooms 1 red pepper, diced 1 orange pepper, diced 1 yellow pepper, diced 1 ripe, Fresh California Avocado, halved, seeded, peeled diced

For sauce:

Rinse basil leaves and remove leaves from stems; rinse parsley and trim stems. Discard stems. Dry (spin dry if possible) greens.
Blend basil and parsley leaves, pistachios, garlic, Parmesan cheese and avocado oil together in a blender. Pulse until coarsely chopped. Add avocado, then salt and pepper to taste.
Briefly pulse again to combine.

For pasta:

Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil.
Stir pasta into the pot of boiling water and cook pasta according to the pasta directions. Drain.
Heat 2 tablespoons avocado oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook and stir onion in hot oil until softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add mushrooms and peppers; cook and stir until fork tender, about 5 minutes.
Add pasta to veggie mixture, stir to combine.
Add California avocado pesto mixture above, and cook and stir until heated through, about 1–2 minutes. Remove from heat.
Place pasta mixture in a large bowl, add diced avocado; serve immediately.

Beverage pairing: A chilled glass of Sauvignon Blanc or unoaked Chardonnay.

*Large avocados are recommended for this recipe. A large avocado averages about 8 ounces. If using smaller or larger size avocados adjust the quantity accordingly.