Spinach Pasta with Avocado Sauce

5 from 5 votes

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!

Prep Time10

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 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.

Nutrition