Creamy Avocado Lime Pasta (Printable)

Smooth avocado-lime sauce coats pasta, complemented by fresh cherry tomatoes for a refreshing fusion dish.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz spaghetti or linguine
02 - 1 tbsp kosher salt (for pasta water)

→ Avocado Lime Sauce

03 - 2 ripe avocados, pitted and peeled
04 - 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
06 - Zest and juice of 2 limes
07 - 1/4 cup fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped
08 - 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
09 - 1/4 cup water
10 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Vegetables & Garnish

11 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
12 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional, omit for vegan)
13 - Extra cilantro or parsley, for garnish

# Directions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
02 - In a blender or food processor, combine avocados, olive oil, garlic, lime zest and juice, cilantro or parsley, red pepper flakes if using, and water. Blend until very smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, toss the drained pasta with avocado lime sauce and a splash of reserved pasta water. Add more pasta water as necessary to achieve a creamy coating.
04 - Gently fold in the halved cherry tomatoes.
05 - Divide evenly among plates. Top with grated Parmesan cheese if desired and garnish with extra herbs. Serve immediately.

# Cooking Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than delivery and tastes like you spent an hour in the kitchen.
  • The avocado sauce is so silky you will forget its just blended fruit and olive oil.
  • You can make it with whatever pasta you have on hand and it always works.
02 -
  • Reserve that pasta water before you drain, I have forgotten more times than I can count and regretted it every time.
  • Blend the sauce longer than you think you need to, any chunks will ruin the silky texture.
  • Do not let the pasta sit in the sauce for more than a few minutes or the avocado starts to oxidize and turn gray.
03 -
  • Use the ripest avocados you can find, underripe ones will make the sauce grainy and bland no matter how long you blend.
  • Add the pasta water a little at a time, you can always add more but you cannot take it back once it is too loose.
  • Taste the sauce before you toss it with the pasta, it should be slightly over-seasoned because the noodles will dilute it.

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