This simple spinach pasta made with creamy avocado sauce is super quick to make and is utterly delicious! Made with simple and healthy ingredients, this pasta recipe is creamy, comforting, and completely nutritious!
If you're looking for a healthy dish that tastes amazing and is budget-friendly, then this spinach pasta with avocado sauce is exactly what you need! It's perfect for any weeknight dinner and it comes together quickly. I have a lot of healthy pasta recipes, like this mushroom and chicken penne with walnut pesto, this creamy pesto pasta with vegetables, and this Thai peanut chicken pasta, but this spinach pasta is packed full of all kinds of nutrition!
Since the sauce is made with only the freshest ingredients, like spinach and avocado, this pasta dish is full of fiber, potassium, vitamin C and K in every single bite! Try pairing this family favorite dinner with my homemade romaine salad and this quick and easy peppery cheese bread!
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Why This Recipe Works
- This spinach pasta is made with only 6 basic pantry ingredients.
- It's made with fresh ingredients and is packed full of nutrition!
- Dinner is ready and on the table in only 15 minutes!
🛒 Ingredients You'll Need
- Pasta - I use rotini noodles.
- Spinach - use fresh spinach leaves.
- Lemon Juice - gets added to the avocado sauce for a hint of tangy flavor.
- Garlic - used to make the sauce. use fresh garlic as opposed to the jar version for best flavor.
- Olive Oil - base ingredient for the sauce.
- Salt - a flavor enhancer.
- Pepper - a flavor enhancer that adds a subtle kick.
- Parmesan Cheese - fresh grated from a block will always taste the best. I add this on top of the spinach pasta dish when it's ready to be served.
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients list & instructions!
📋 Variations
- Pasta: Any type of small tubular pasta works well with this recipe, such as fusilli, farfalle, ziti, penne or rotini. You can make this recipe with protein pasta, vegetable pasta, spinach pasta, whole grain, or gluten free pasta.
- Zoodles: If you want to skip the carbs, serve this sauce over zoodles!
- Flavored Olive Oil - If you have a flavored olive oil, use it. I've used basil, garlic, and Tuscan herb-infused olive oil in this dish and it helps intensify the flavor.
- Al Dente: You can follow the instructions on the box to cook your pasta, but if you prefer a good al dente texture, try this approach. Start checking the pasta after it has boiled for six to seven minutes. At this stage, the pasta should still have a bit of crunch. Continue tasting a piece every 30 seconds until the pasta is firm but no longer crunchy when you bite it with your front teeth. A perfect al dente pasta should be firm to the bite, without being hard.
- Protein: If you want to add protein, both shrimp and chicken are excellent with this dish. You can use shredded rotisserie chicken.
🔪 Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
Step 1: Start by boiling the pasta per the box directions. While the noodles are cooking, heat a small pan and add 2 Tablespoons of olive oil.
Step 2: When the oil has heated, mince 2 cloves of garlic and add to the oil. Sauté for 1-2 minutes on medium heat.
Step 3: Next, add 2 cups of fresh spinach to the skillet and sauté with the garlic olive oil until the spinach starts to wilt.
Step 4: Peel the avocado cut into quarters. Remove the pit and set aside.
Step 5: Using a food processor or blender, add in the avocado, sautéd spinach, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and 2 Tablespoons of the starchy water from the pasta that's cooking.
Step 6: From there, blend the ingredients until the sauce is slightly thickened.
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Step 7: Once the pasta is done, drain the water and put the cooked pasta in a large bowl. Add the sauce from the food processor/blender to the top of the noodles and mix well.
Step 10: Top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and any additional salt and pepper. Grab a fork and dig in!
This is probably one of the best pasta recipes I've ever eaten...and let me tell you, I never feel guilty after eating it! It's that light and healthy! And it pairs wonderfully with a good red wine! After eating this meal, I always finish it off with a light dessert, typically my homemade tiramisu trifle or this silky coffee pudding!
🙋🏼♀️ Recipe FAQs
The avocado sauce in this recipe are made primarily with fresh spinach and avocado. And both are crazy good for you. Avocado is full of good fat. Research has shown that by eating a healthy diet that contains good fats (such as avocado, salmon, etc.), can substantially help lower the risk of heart disease.
If there are any leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. I like to store the avocado sauce in a separate container that way the noodles don't absorb all the sauce.
You can reheat this on the stovetop or in the microwave until warm.
Expert Tips
- You don’t want the avocado sauce to be too thick. If the sauce is still too thick after you start to puree, add a little more starchy water and puree until it reaches the consistency you desire.
- After you make the sauce, you can mix it right into the cooked rotini. The noodles will still be hot so will the sauce based on the added starchy water.
- If you want to heat the sauce, add it to a saucepan and heat it on medium heat. Then mix with the cooked noodles.
- I always end up adding additional salt and pepper for extra flavor. so adjust accordingly.
- Do not freeze. When you thaw it, the texture will be off and not taste very good.
🍝 More Pasta Recipes To Try!
If you tried this spinach pasta with avocado sauce or any other recipes on my website, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below. I love hearing from you! And, please leave a 🌟 rating while you're there!
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Spinach Pasta with Avocado Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 box rotini pasta
- 2 cups raw spinach
- 1 avocado
- 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 Tablespoon olive oil, divided
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
Instructions
- Boil the pasta according to the box directions.
- While the pasta is cooking, heat 2 Tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium-heat.
- Add the minced garlic and and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Then, add in 2 cups of raw spinach. Sauté the garlic and spinach until it completely wilts, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Peel the avocado and remove the pit. Using a food processor or blender, add the avocado, sautéd spinach and garlic, 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice, and 2 Tablespoons of olive oil, ½ teaspoon of salt and fresh ground pepper. Mix to combine.
- Since the mixture will be thick, add in 2 Tablespoons of the starchy water from boiling pasta and mix again.
- Finish by pureeing the ingredients until you have a slightly thick sauce, adding any additional starchy water, as needed until you get the preferred consistency. Expert Tip: You don’t want this sauce to be too thin, so I find that 2 Tablespoons of starchy water works great for me. If the sauce is still too thick after you start to puree, add a little more starchy water from the pasta that is boiling and puree until it reaches the consistency you desire.
- Once the pasta is done, drain the water and move the cooked pasta to a large bowl. Add the pureed sauce from the food processor/blender on top of the pasta and mix to combine.
- If you are adding chicken, add the chopped or shredded chicken to the bowl and mix well. Add any additional salt and pepper to taste. I always top with fresh grated parmesan. Serve immediately!
Notes
-
- You don’t want the avocado sauce to be too thick. If the sauce is still too thick after you start to puree, add a little more starchy water and puree until it reaches the consistency you desire.
- After you make the sauce, you can mix it right into the cooked rotini. The noodles will still be hot and so will the sauce based on the added starchy water.
- If you want to heat the sauce, add it to a saucepan and heat it on medium-low heat. Then mix with the cooked noodles.
- I always end up adding additional salt and pepper for extra flavor, so adjust accordingly.
- Do not freeze. When you thaw it, the texture will be off and not taste very good.
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Donna Beckwith
I have an abundance of kale; can I substitute kale for the spinach
Amanda Mason
You can try, yes. I've not made it this way before but if you soften the kale enough, it should work.
Nathan
Very good. I also threw in some diced tomato for a pop of color.
Amanda Mason
Excellent add! So glad you loved it! Please let me know what other recipes of mine you try!
Francesca
So simple and delicious!! Thank you for an amazing recipe!
Amanda Mason
Thank you, Francesca! I'm so glad you loved it!! It is a super simple recipe!!
Alicia
Can I freeze the sauce?
Amanda Mason
You should be able to, yes.
Lisa
I made this for dinner this evening. It was delicious. Thank you for the recipe.
Amanda Mason
YEAH!! I'm SO glad you loved it!! It's one of my kiddos favorites!! I can't wait to hear what other recipes of mine you try!!