This quick vegetarian pasta is tossed in a creamy avocado sauce that is to-die-for yummy, then drizzled with balsamic dressing for an extra level of flavor! A healthy and satisfying summer dish!

top view of a bowl of creamy avocado pasta with half of an avocado on the side.
I can’t believe it’s been a year since we bought this house. Time seriously flies. No but really, it does. I remember last year at this time we were chillin’ (more like roasting) on a houseboat down at Lake Powell, excited to come back home and move into our new home! We’re still making it our own but we’ve already done some fun things to the house and there is more to come. In the next couple of weeks we will be painting the house! I’m talking about the outside. And believe me, it needs paint. Right now it is a dirty yellow and brown and looks gross. Now if we could just decide on a color of paint, that would be helpful.

top view of a bowl of creamy avocado pasta with a tomato, half an avocado, and balsamic salad dressing on the side.
We’re trying to decide between two colors. One is a sage-greenish color which I really like because, my favorite color is green. And when we first started talking about paint colors several months ago, we were pretty sure we wanted green. But then my husband decided we should try out a blue-ish gray, it actually looks almost exactly like the color of the table underneath the pasta in these pictures. They both look good! Decisions decisions….

a bowl of creamy avocado pasta with a spoon on a plate with balsamic dressing, a tomato, and half of an avocado faded in the background.
While I’m mulling over the color options, let’s talk pasta real quick. Everyone knows that avocados go great in pasta, but have you ever used them in the sauce? Oh my gosh, it’s magic. Mashed avocados and a couple of other ingredients will fix up a crazy-flavorful sauce – no milk, no flour, no chicken stock, just avocado goodness. If you make this pasta as-written, it’s vegetarian, but if you’re looking for a way to “beef it up” so to speak, I’d throw some simple grilled chicken on top for a hearty dinner. My favorite part is optional, but sort of not, you need to drizzle some balsamic salad dressing on top. It works soooo well with the avocado sauce – just do it!

Creamy Avocado Pasta
This quick vegetarian pasta is tossed in a creamy avocado sauce that is to-die-for yummy, then drizzled with balsamic dressing for an extra level of flavor! A healthy and satisfying summer dish!

Ingredients
▢8 ounces bow tie pasta – cooked al dente according to package instructions and drained
▢balsamic salad dressing (optional)
▢¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese – or Italian cheese blend
▢1 avocado – roughly mashed with a fork
▢juice of ½ lemon – (about 1 T)
▢3 tablespoons olive oil
▢1 teaspoon dried parsley
▢salt and pepper – to taste
▢optional: fresh parsley or other herbs, tomatoes, additional cheese

Instructions

In a food processor or blender combine mashed avocado, lemon juice, olive oil, parsley, and salt and pepper and pulse until smooth. Taste and add salt and pepper if desired.
Add cooked pasta to a large bowl. Toss with avocado sauce until coated well. Add cheese and stir to combine.
Serve pasta at room temp or cold. Add tomatoes, fresh herbs, and additional cheese if desired. Drizzle with balsamic salad dressing immediately before eating.
Notes
Add diced or shredded cooked chicken to round this out into a hearty meal.
Nutrition
Calories: 411 kcal, Carbohydrates: 47 g, Protein: 11 g, Fat: 21 g, Saturated Fat: 4 g, Cholesterol: 6 mg, Sodium: 103 mg, Potassium: 379 mg, Fiber: 5 g, Sugar: 2 g, Vitamin A: 128 IU, Vitamin C: 5 mg, Calcium: 88 mg, Iron: 1 mg