This Avocado Pesto Pasta is creamy, delicious, and rich in healthy fats! This is an easy lunch or dinner and comes together in only 20 minutes. One serving provides 600 calories.
This pasta dish is high in calories and a great option for anyone looking to gain weight or stop unintended weight loss. Make it an entrée or use as a side, this dish is great for any meal!
This high calorie recipe was developed by OHSU dietetic intern Lauren Averill.
Avocado Pesto Pasta Ingredients
This dish requires few ingredients and is easy to make!
- Avocado
- Basil
- Olive Oil
- Garlic cloves
- Lemon Juice
- Parmesan
- Almonds
- Pasta
- Salt & Pepper
Avocado Pesto Pasta Benefits
In addition to being high calorie, this dish also provides healthy fats, antioxidants, and fiber.
The olive oil, avocado, and almonds used in this dish are all rich sources of healthy fats that help improve heart health.
Olive oil contains powerful antioxidants and provides omega-3s. Avocados are packed with vitamins and minerals such as potassium and vitamin C, E, and K. Almonds are high in vitamin E and provide protein.
Basil is also packed with nutrients and is full of antioxidants and vitamins.
Fiber is an important part of the diet and provides numerous benefits. Fiber helps keep you full for longer, lowers cholesterol and regulates blood sugar, and improves digestive health. The avocado and almonds in this dish are great sources of fiber. If you want to bulk up the fiber even more, try using whole wheat pasta!
Variations
This dish is very flexible and can be made with many different ingredients. While traditional pesto uses pine nuts, you can use any nut you like in your pesto! Feel free to swap out the almonds in this recipe for a nut or seed of your choosing.
Instead of basil you could also try cilantro, arugula, spinach, or kale for a twist on traditional pesto! You can also add in some tomatoes or roasted red peppers for a different flavor.
Pesto can also be made dairy-free and nut-free. Try adding nutritional yeast to make a dairy-free pesto that still has a delicious cheesy taste!
Pack in some extra protein by adding grilled chicken, shrimp, tofu, or any other protein source you’d like!
How To Make Avocado Pesto Pasta
Start by boiling your pasta of choice. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water to use in the pesto later.
Add the avocado, olive oil, basil, garlic cloves, lemon juice, parmesan, nuts, salt, and pepper to a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth. You may need to add in some of the reserved pasta water to make the pesto smoother.
Add your pesto to the cooked noodles and mix it up. Add any toppings you’d like such as cherry tomatoes, chicken, or more parmesan and enjoy!
Other Recipes Using Avocado
If you love this recipe and love avocado, be sure to check out some of our other high calorie avocado recipes:
And be sure to check out our free High Calorie Shakes Handout for more weight gain ideas.
Avocado Pesto Pasta
Ingredients
- 12 oz cavatappi pasta
- 1 large avocado, ripe
- 1 cup basil, fresh packed
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 cup almonds
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and add pasta, remember to reserve ½ cup of pasta water before straining
- While your pasta is cooking, add the rest of the ingredients into a food processor or blender
- Combine until smooth, add in pasta water to make blending easier
- Strain pasta
- Add pesto to cooked pasta and stir
- Top with a sprinkle of parmesan, basil, and any other toppings of your choosing for additional flavor and calories (ex. tomatoes, chicken, shrimp)