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–+ servings

Avocado Pesto Pasta Salad

A quick, light, and flavorful pasta made with an herby avocado pesto! Just 10 simple ingredients required and seasonally adaptable!
Author Minimalist Baker
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Vintage fork in a bowl of our avocado pesto pasta salad recipe
4.93 from 14 votes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4 (Servings)
Course Entrée or Side
Cuisine Gluten-Free, Vegan
Freezer Friendly No
Does it keep? 2 Days

Ingredients

PASTA

  • Water for boiling
  • 1 Tbsp salt (for seasoning the water)
  • 12 oz. dry gluten-free pasta (we like Trader Joe’s Brown Rice & Quinoa Fusilli)

SAUCE

  • 1/4 cup tightly packed fresh parsley (loosely chopped before measuring)
  • 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves (loosely chopped before measuring)
  • 3 Tbsp loosely packed fresh chives (loosely chopped before measuring // if you don’t have chives, sub more of the other herbs)
  • 3 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup ripe mashed avocado
  • 1/3 cup water (plus more as needed)
  • 3 large cloves garlic
  • 1 tsp coconut aminos (for depth of flavor // or sub half the amount of tamari)
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1 pinch black pepper
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil (optional // for more earthy, floral flavor)

FOR SERVING optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • In a large pot, bring 2 quarts (~1.9 liters) of water to a boil, and add 1 Tbsp salt to season pasta water (amounts written as original recipe // adjust as needed if adjusting serving size).
  • While water is coming to a boil, make the sauce. To a small blender or food processor, add parsley, basil, chives, lemon juice, avocado, water, garlic, coconut aminos, salt, pepper, and olive oil (optional). Blend until smooth, scraping down sides as needed. Sauce may seem a little thick but will loosen when it’s added to the pasta.
  • Once water is boiling, cook gluten-free pasta according to package directions. Then drain pasta and immediately transfer to a medium serving bowl. Pour sauce over pasta and mix thoroughly. Taste and adjust, adding more salt if needed, lemon for more zing, or chopped basil for more herbiness.
  • Serve immediately. Option to garnish with veggies of choice (such as chopped sun-dried tomatoes — rehydrated if fully dry), vegan parmesan cheese, and fresh lemon juice. Best served fresh at room temperature. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Not freezer friendly.

Video

Notes

*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with 1/4 tsp of the salt in the pasta water (since the full tablespoon isn’t absorbed into the pasta) and without optional ingredients.

Nutrition (1 of 4 servings)

Serving: 1 serving Calories: 362 Carbohydrates: 70 g Protein: 8.6 g Fat: 6.8 g Saturated Fat: 0.6 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.6 g Monounsaturated Fat: 2.8 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 466 mg Potassium: 206 mg Fiber: 5.3 g Sugar: 0.7 g Vitamin A: 597 IU Vitamin C: 14.5 mg Calcium: 21.5 mg Iron: 1.7 mg