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Home » Vegan and Oil-free Recipes

Vegan Avocado Pesto Pasta

Published: Feb 11, 2020 · Modified: Sep 15, 2021 by Liz Madsen

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Hey Internet, I'm excited to bring you Vegan Avocado Pesto Pasta today! This vegan pesto is my favorite that I've tasted, and thanks to the creamy avocado, it's oil-free!

You can also forget the expensive pine nuts, because I've substituted sunflower seeds here instead. I've also made this with hemp seeds and it was just as delicious.

This pesto is gluten-free, so serve it over gluten-free noodles if you'd like. It would also be great on potatoes, pizza, toast, etc.!

This delicious pasta is:

  • Rich
  • Creamy
  • Tangy
  • Savory
  • Citrus-y
  • Golden-y (totally a word in my book)
  • A great way to hide veggies for kids or picky adults

Are you ready to make some avocado pesto pasta?

Vegan Avocado Pesto Pasta Ingredients

Let's start off with what we already know we'll need: pasta, avocados and sunflower or hemp seeds (this will also work with cashews).

For pasta, I used bowties because the box was collecting dust in my pantry. I've also tried this recipe with chickpea pasta and whole wheat pasta and it's great! Just use 16 oz of whatever you'd like for this recipe.

You'll need 3 avocados for this recipe + another one if you want a fancy garnish.

We're going to sneak some fresh spinach in there which adds a ton of nutrients but you really can't tell! You could also experiment with: kale, parsley, cilantro, etc.

For a cheesy flavor, we're adding nutritional yeast. Garlic powder, dried oregano, dried basil, and salt also add a lot to the flavor so don't skimp on the herbs and spices!

For a little tang, I used lemon juice and apple cider vinegar (adds a little sweetness). You can just add a little more of either and cut out one of them if you'd like (i.e. use more lemon juice if you don't have apple cider vinegar and vice versa).

Finally, to make it blend well and for a little extra creaminess, I used nondairy milk. I happened to have almond on hand, but you can use any you'd like.

How to Make the Pesto

I don't think I need to explain pasta, right? :p Follow the directions on your pasta package.

To make the pesto, basically blend everything in your food processor or blender until well combined. You can pulse it until the spinach is chopped and it's just lightly mixed if you like things chunky, or blend it until creamy smooth, which is what I did here.

Simply mix the pesto through the pasta, top it with extra avocado if desired (I like to be a little fancy sometimes lol) and a sprinkle of additional nutritional yeast. To take the flavors to the next level, try adding a generous sprinkle of my vegan Parmesan on top!

Ways to mix it up:

  • Add in other fresh veggies
  • Top it with fresh tomatoes
  • Use a different nut or seed like cashews or hemp seeds
  • Add in a little maple syrup for sweetness
  • Top it with sundried tomatoes
  • Use lime juice instead of lemon juice
  • Add in some hot sauce or chipotle powder
  • Use other greens instead of spinach (like cilantro or basil!)

Let me know how you mixed it up in the comments below. :)

As always, I hope you love this recipe!

Let me know in the comments below if you make it, tag me @Zardyplants on Instagram so I can see your beautiful recreations! If you tag me on IG, I will share your post in my stories :)

Also, one quick request: if you love how this recipe looks or tastes, please leave me a 5-star rating and a nice comment–ratings help more people find my recipes which helps me keep providing them! Thank you!

<3 LIZ

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Vegan Avocado Pesto Pasta


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5 from 1 review

  • Author: Liz Madsen
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 8 cups 1x
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Description

Creamy, rich, tangy, cheesy Avocado Pesto Pasta! This tasty pasta is a super fun and a cheaper oil-free twist on classic pesto.

Vegan, Oil-free, Nut-free (uses seeds), Soy-free, Sugar-free, can be Gluten-free


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 16 oz pasta of choice (can use gluten-free)
  • 3 avocados
  • ½ cup sunflower seeds (or hemp seeds or cashews)
  • 1.5 cups fresh spinach
  • ¼ cup + 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast, divided
  • Juice of 3 small lemons
  • 1.5 tsp each garlic powder, oregano and basil
  • 1 tsp salt (I use Himalayan Pink Salt)
  • 1.5 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 3-4 tablespoon unsweetened nondairy milk
  • Vegan Parm, optional

Instructions

  1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
  2. While pasta cooks, blend other ingredients in a food processor or blender until combined--leave chunky if desired. 
  3. Fold pesto into hot pasta, sprinkle with extra nutritional yeast or vegan Parmesan and enjoy!
  • Category: Dinner, Entree
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Italian

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Filed Under: Entrees, Vegan and Oil-free Recipes

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Comments

  1. Zoie

    June 18, 2022 at 2:38 am

    Super easy to make!! Has tons of flavor and protein! Definitely recommend for an easy, yet delicious dinner!

    Reply

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Hi, we're Liz & Paul!

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Paul and Liz Madsen holding their dog Luna standing in front of a lake

Hi, we're Liz & Paul!

We develop plant-based comfort food recipes that are delicious, easy, and budget-friendly. We created Zardyplants to share our fun, delicious food with the world. But what does the name Zardyplants even mean?

More about us →

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Seasonal

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Want a free e-cookbook? Download our Everyday Plant-Based Recipes.

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