Spinach Pasta with Avocado Sauce

This simple spinach pasta made with creamy avocado sauce is super quick to make and utterly delicious! Made with simple and healthy ingredients, this pasta is creamy, comforting, and completely nutritious!

Just like my pesto sauce, this avocado sauce is made with the simplest and healthiest ingredients!

If you're looking for a healthy dish that's budget-friendly, this spinach pasta is exactly what you need. I have a lot of healthy pasta recipes, like this Mushroom and Chicken Penne with Walnut Pesto, but this rotini one is chocked full of all kinds of nutrition.

Why This Recipe Works:

• Uses only 6 ingredients you already have on hand,
• It's packed full of nutrition and fiber,
• Dinner is ready and on the table in only 15 minutes!

Ingredients You'll Need

All you really need to do for this spinach pasta recipe is boil the noodles and make the avocado pasta sauce.

We're talking rotini noodles, 1 avocado, fresh spinach leaves, fresh garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil. I always add salt and pepper to intensify the flavor.

Here's How To Make It:

• Boil the rotini per the box directions. While the noodles are cooking, heat a small pan and add 2 Tablespoons of olive oil.
• When the oil has heated, mince 2 cloves of garlic and add to the oil.
• Saute for 1-2 minutes on medium heat.

• Add 2 cups of raw spinach and saute the garlic and spinach until it starts to wilt.

• Cut and peel the avocado. Remove the pit.
• Using a food processor or blender, add in the avocado, cooked spinach, lemon juice, and olive oil.

• Add in salt and pepper, as well as 2 Tablespoons of the starchy water from the pasta that's cooking.

• Puree the ingredients until you have a slightly thick sauce.
  • Expert Tip: You don’t want the avocado sauce to be too thin. 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.
• Once the pasta is done, drain the water and move the cooked rotini to a large bowl.
• Add the sauce from the food processor/blender to the top of the noodles and mix well.
• Top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and any additional salt and pepper. Grab a fork and dig in!

Al Dente Pasta

You can cook pasta according to the box directions, but I love a good al dente pasta.

Here's how you do it:

• Begin tasting the noodles after six to seven minutes of boiling. At this point, it should still be a little crunchy.
• Keep tasting a single piece every 30 seconds until it feels firm.
• Al dente pasta should feel firm, but not crunchy, when you bite down with your front teeth.

It takes time to master al dente, but when you do you'll be amazed at the taste difference in every bite.

Health Benefits of Spinach and Avocado

The avocado sauce recipe I make contains both 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), can substantially help lower the risk of heart disease. And I'll be 100% honest with you...if your goal is to lose weight and stay healthy; you have to eat healthy fats.

I love using baby spinach in this recipe. It has a light and sweet taste and it's pretty easy to find in your local grocery store. It comes from the smallest leaves of the flat-leaf variety of spinach and has all the health benefits of large-leaf spinach, which is packed full of vitamins A and C plus folate, iron and calcium.

How To Store Cooked Pasta Leftovers

If there are any leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. You can store the avocado pasta sauce with the cooked pasta or in separate containers.

I do not recommend freezing this spinach pasta recipe.

Cook's Tips

• If you have a flavored olive oil, use it. I've used basil, garlic, and tuscan herb-infused olive oil and it helps intensify the flavor.
• 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-high heat. Then mix with the cooked noodles.
• If you want to add protein, both shrimp and chicken are excellent with this dish. You can add shredded rotisserie chicken or chopped chicken.
• I always end up adding additional salt and pepper for extra flavor.
• Gluten-free noodles or zoodles are also excellent in this dish.

Wine Pairings

If you're a wine lover like me, this recipe pairs extremely well with a good red wine. A lot of people like to pair this type of spinach-based pasta with a chardonnay or sauvignon blanc, but I love a good red blend with this dish.

Other Healthy Pasta Recipes

• Creamy Spinach with Mushroom White Lasagna
• Thai Peanut Chicken Pasta
• Baked Chicken Parmesan Recipe
• Three-Vegetable Penne with Tarragon-Basil Pesto
• Chicken Florentine with Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta

If you loved these this recipe, leave me a comment and give it a star review!

Update Notes: This post was originally published in July 2015, but was republished with new photos, step-by-step instructions, and tips in March, 2020.