Spinach Pasta with Avocado Sauce

Skillet containing pasta with avocado sauce, Parmesan and pepper on table.

5 from 5 votes

This simple spinach pasta made with a 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!

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Total Time15

Course: dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: people

Calories: 654kcal

Author: Amanda Mason

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 saute for 1-2 minutes. Add in 2 cups of raw spinach.
Saute the garlic and spinach until it completely wilts.
Peel the avocado and remove the pit. Using a food processor or blender, add the avocado, sauteed spinach and garlic, 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice, and 2 Tablespoons of olive oil.
Add ½ teaspoon of salt and fresh ground pepper. Add in 2 Tablespoons of the starchy water from boiling pasta and add to the food processor or blender.
Puree the ingredients until you have a slightly thick sauce. You don’t want this sauce to be too thin. 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 sauce from the food processor/blender to the top of the pasta.
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. You are ready to serve!

Notes

Don't overcook the noodles. It is best when it is cooked to al dente.
If you have a flavored olive oil, use it. I've used a 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 pasta. The noodles will still be hot and so will the sauce based of the added starchy water.
If you want to heat the sauce before adding it to the noodles, add it to a saucepan and heat it on medium-high heat. Then mix with the cooked pasta.
If you want to add some 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 and zoodles are also excellent in this dish.

Nutrition