Creamy Avocado Pesto Pasta with Blistered Tomatoes
Recipe from Two Peas and Their Pod
Creamy Avocado Pesto Pasta with Blistered Tomatoes-the avocado is the secret ingredient to making this pesto super creamy and delicious! Your family will love this easy pasta dish!
Servings: 6
Calories: 337kcal
Ingredients
For the Creamy Pesto:
- 1 cup packed basil leaves
- 1 cup packed spinach leaves
- 1/2 large avocado
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the Pasta and Tomatoes:
- 12 oz pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
- 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Crushed red pepper flakes, for garnish, optional
- Basil leaves, for garnish, optional
- Parmesan cheese, for garnish, optional
Instructions
- First, make the creamy avocado pesto. In a food processor, add the basil, spinach, avocado, garlic, lemon juice, parmesan cheese, and olive oil. Blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook the pasta until al dente according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Drain the pasta and transfer to a large bowl.
- While the pasta is cooking, cook the tomatoes. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the tomatoes and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the tomatoes blister and start to pop, about 5 minutes. Discard the garlic.
- Add the creamy pesto to the large bowl of pasta. Stir, adding the reserved pasta water as necessary. Stir until the pasta is well coated in pesto. Top with blistered tomatoes. Garnish with crushed red pepper flakes, basil and parmesan cheese, if using. Serve immediately.
Notes
Note-to make this recipe vegan, use nutritional yeast for the parmesan cheese. You can also use zucchini noodles instead of pasta.
Nutrition
Calories: 337kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 77mg | Potassium: 434mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1397IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 1mg