Avocado Pesto Pasta

Name: Avocado Pesto Pasta
Prep time: 8 min
Cook time: 11 min
Total time: 19 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 400 g fusilli or penne; 150 g frozen peas; 1 large ripe avocado (about 220 g); 40 g basil leaves; 20 g rocket or spinach; 2 tablespoons lemon juice; 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 1 garlic clove; 1 teaspoon fine salt; ½ teaspoon black pepper; 100 ml reserved pasta water; Optional: 20 g nutritional yeast or grated parmesan

Traditional pesto is mostly oil and nuts. Swapping in avocado gives you the same clinging richness with less oil, and it is a useful recipe if pine nuts are expensive or nuts are off the table.

Peas go in for the last two minutes of the pasta's cooking time, so there is nothing extra to wash up.

MyAvocadoTree Editorial TeamPublished 4 September 2026Updated 4 September 2026

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Pasta tossed in green avocado pesto with peas and basil

Prep

8 min

Cook

11 min

Total

19 min

Servings

Difficulty

Easy

Cuisine

Italian

Vegan
Vegetarian

Ingredients

Instructions

1
Cook the pasta in well-salted boiling water, adding the frozen peas for the last 2 minutes.
2
Blend the avocado, basil, rocket, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper into a thick pesto. Do not add water yet.
3
Reserve 100 ml of pasta water, then drain the pasta and peas together.
4
Return them to the pan off the heat, add the pesto and half the water, and toss until glossy. Add more water a splash at a time.
5
Finish with nutritional yeast or parmesan and more black pepper.

Recipe tips

Rocket adds the peppery note that pine nuts and parmesan usually provide. Do not skip it if you can help it.
Peas in the pasta water saves a pan and stops them overcooking.
Shape matters — twists and tubes hold this thick sauce far better than long strands.
If the pesto tastes muddy, it needs lemon. If it tastes sharp, it needs salt.

Nutrition (approximate)

Estimated per serving from the ingredient quantities above. Treat these as a guide, not a measurement — ripeness, brands and portioning all shift the numbers.

Calories: 590 kcal
Protein: 18 g
Carbs: 82 g
Fat: 21 g
Fibre: 12 g

Storage

Best fresh. The pesto alone keeps a day in the fridge under a film of olive oil with cling film on the surface.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use this pesto on anything else?

Yes — on toast, stirred through boiled potatoes, as a sandwich spread, or thinned with water into a salad dressing.

Is it nut-free?

As written, yes. Nothing in the ingredient list contains nuts, but check your nutritional yeast if allergies are serious.

Can I freeze the pesto?

Not really. Avocado-based sauces separate and darken badly on thawing, unlike classic pesto.

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