Avocado Spinach Basil with Spaghetti (Printable Version)

Creamy avocado blended with fresh spinach and basil coats tender spaghetti for a nutritious, vibrant meal ready in 25 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 14 oz spaghetti
02 - Salt for boiling water

→ Pesto

03 - 2 ripe avocados, pitted and peeled
04 - 2 cups fresh spinach leaves
05 - 1 cup fresh basil leaves
06 - 2 cloves garlic
07 - 1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
08 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
09 - 2 tbsp lemon juice
10 - 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
11 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Garnish

12 - Additional grated Parmesan cheese
13 - Fresh basil leaves
14 - Cracked black pepper

# How To Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water before draining.
02 - While pasta cooks, combine avocados, spinach, basil, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan, lemon juice, and olive oil in a food processor or blender. Season with salt and pepper.
03 - Blend until smooth and creamy, scraping down sides as needed. Add 1-2 tablespoons of pasta water if mixture is too thick to reach desired consistency.
04 - Toss drained spaghetti with the pesto, adding reserved pasta water as needed to coat noodles evenly.
05 - Serve immediately, topped with extra Parmesan, fresh basil leaves, and cracked black pepper.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The avocado creates this incredibly velvety texture that coats every single strand of pasta perfectly
  • You get a massive dose of healthy greens but it tastes so indulgent nobody will complain about eating their vegetables
  • It comes together in under 25 minutes which makes it perfect for those weeknights when you want something fancy but have zero energy
02 -
  • The pesto will oxidize and turn slightly brownish over time, but it still tastes perfectly delicious even if the color changes
  • Never rinse your pasta after draining since you need that surface starch to help the sauce cling to every strand
  • If your avocados are underripe, the pesto will have a waxy texture instead of creamy, so really check for perfect ripeness
03 -
  • If the pesto tastes too garlicky raw, let it sit for 15 minutes since the flavor mellows beautifully
  • A pinch of red pepper flakes in the pesto adds this subtle warmth that makes everything more interesting

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