Avocado Pasta with Jalapeños and Queso Fresco

Avocado Pasta is one of the simplest pasta dishes you can make. Try it tonight for a flavorful, easy dinner!

The first time I tasted an avocado, I was in my early twenties.

It’s still hard for me to come to terms with that fact. That I spent just over twenty years of my life never having enjoyed the smooth, creamy, perfect flavor and texture of my beloved avocados!

I’ve certainly made up for lost time. Avocados are one of the few things I don’t bother adding to my grocery list because I always buy some. On any given day, you’ll find at least three of them on my counter, usually at varying degrees of ripeness.

One large avocado is quite often my entire lunch on a busy work day…it’s perfect with a dose of hot sauce!

IS AVOCADO A FRUIT OR VEGETABLE?

Fresh avocados are a heart-healthy fruit. They provide naturally good fats, are low in saturated fat and are cholesterol and sodium-free, which is just one of the reasons I’ve made them a big part of my diet.

Flavor, for me, is the top reason, but I feel even better about my choice because of their health benefits! Avocados, which are a fruit although most people think of them as a vegetable, contain less than one gram of sugar per 1-ounce, the least amount of sugar per serving of any other fresh fruit. AND avocado contributes nearly 20 vitamins, minerals and beneficial plant compounds to my diet.

HOW TO MAKE AVOCADO PASTA?

It is so simple to make avocado pasta since you don’t have to cook a sauce. You’ll mix your avocado with a few ingredients such as cilantro, lime juice, and garlic, then toss it with hot pasta. Add a small amount of reserved pasta water until a creamy sauce forms, then add your toppings. So simple and quick, and a wonderful way to use those avocados sitting on your counter!

CAN AVOCADO PASTA BE REHEATED?

I don’t recommend reheating it, but it does make a fantastic cold avocado pasta salad. I’ll keep my leftovers in an airtight container and have them for lunch the next day. Or breakfast. No judging! 🙂

This delicious recipe for Spicy Avocado Pasta is such a simple pasta dish yet has such great flavor. If you love avocados like I do, you MUST give this easy, quick and so tasty avocado recipe a try. You can have the “sauce” ready by the time the pasta is done, then just toss it all together and your dinner is on the table. 

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Spicy Avocado Pasta

Yield: 8

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

An easy 20-minute recipe for delicious, creamy pasta your family will love!

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Ingredients

• 1 lb. spaghetti
• 2 fresh Hass avocados*, halved, pitted, peeled and cubed
• ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
• 1 jalapeño, minced
• 1 garlic clove, finely minced
• 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice, or to taste
• 1 tsp. fresh ground pepper
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 green onions, sliced
• ½ cup crumbled queso fresco cheese

Instructions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, reserving one cup of the pasta water.
2. Meanwhile, mash ripe avocados in a bowl until smooth (a fork works great or you can also do this step in a food processor).
3. Add cilantro, jalapeño, garlic and lemon juice; stir until smooth. Season with pepper.
4. Toss hot pasta with sauce, adding a small amount of reserved pasta water until desired consistency is reached (usually a few tablespoons).
5. Top with cherry tomatoes, green onions and queso fresco. Serve immediately.

Notes

Nutrition Information Per Serving: Calories 320; Total Fat 10 g (Sat 2 g, Trans 0 g, Poly 1 g, Mono 6 g); Cholesterol 5 mg; Sodium 65 mg; Potassium 450 mg; Total Carbohydrate 45 g; Dietary Fiber 6 g; Sugars 3 g; Protein 10 g; Vitamin A 465 IU; Vitamin C 12 mg; Calcium 65 mg; Iron 2 mg; Vitamin D 8 IU; Folate 180 mcg.

% Daily Value: Vitamin A 10%; Vitamin C 20%; Calcium 6%; Iron 2%

Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 Calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Nutrition Information:

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 321Saturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 67mgCarbohydrates: 48gFiber: 5gSugar: 2gProtein: 10g

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Kristy Bernardo

Kristy Bernardo is the recipe creator behind The Wicked Noodle. She's a five-time cookbook author, has taught cooking classes to both kids and adults, and has been creating recipes for nationwide brands since 2009. She learned most of her cooking skills from her mom and grandmother, then honed those skills at boot camp at the Culinary Institute of America.

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