Spaghetti with Avocado Spinach Pesto
Vegan, whole wheat spaghetti with avocado spinach pesto...give me all the garlic, all the olive oil, flavors of basil, walnuts! Throw in a couple of avocados and add it to some pasta. We LOVE pesto. I love using it with salads, crackers, veggies sandwiches, and of course, pasta.
I used to not make pesto very often because basil is expensive or I never had enough for a recipe! Then we started growing a herb garden (put together by my in-laws who have a magical green thumb)! But in reality, sometimes, there's just not enough basil! In comes spinach to save the day. Spinach is more budget-friendly than basil, tasty, and also PACKED with nutrients.
Just LOOK at my beautiful basil!
Traditionally, pesto is made of pine nuts but those are also, you guessed it…very expensive. I use walnuts in this recipe but really, any nuts will work wonderfully! I've used almonds and even pistachios before. Walnuts are a great source of polyunsaturated fats (I talked about fats in this post's "Nutrition Nook"), are a great vegetarian source of omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, and protein. Adding the avocado gives the spaghetti the perfect amount of creaminess it needs.
This spaghetti with avocado spinach pesto is:
- Vegan.
- SO easy to make!
- Packed with good fats.
- Nutty flavored from walnuts.
- Creamy from avocados.
- Full of basil and spinach.
- Garlicky and lemony.
Here's how you make it:
- Make your chosen pasta. I used whole grain spaghetti in mine.
- Add spinach, basil, walnuts, garlic, avocados, olive oil, lemon juice, sea salt, and black pepper in a food processor and blend it all until smooth.
- Combine it well with the spaghetti.
- Top it with some basil, cherry tomatoes, parmesan cheese/vegan cheese, additional nuts...get creative!
- Devour immediately 🙂
Seriously guys, make it for lunch or dinner today. You won't regret it. This recipe and the Creamy Garlic and Vegetable Pasta are the two pasta dishes that I will happily devour this pregnancy :).
More Recipes to Enjoy
- Mushroom and Caramelized Onion Tart
- Blueberry Balsamic Cream Cheese Dip
- Asparagus Pasta Salad
- Olive Oil Bread Dip
- Spaghetti Arrabbiata
📖 Recipe
Spaghetti with Avocado Spinach Pesto
Ingredients
- 8 oz whole wheat spaghetti
- 1 cup packed basil leaves
- 1 cup packed spinach
- ½ cup walnuts
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 avocados
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ⅔ cup extra virgin olive oil
- black pepper
- sea salt
Instructions
- Cook the spaghetti according to the package instructions and drain.
- In a food processor, combine basil, spinach, walnuts, garlic, avocados, lemon juice, olive oil, sea salt, and black pepper. Blend until smooth in consistency.
- Add the avocado spinach pesto to the spaghetti until well combined. You can use up all of the pesto with the pasta or save some to eat as a dip later!
- Top with more walnuts, basil, parmesan cheese (if not vegan), or cherry tomatoes and enjoy!
Notes
- You can use any of your favorite pastas in this dish!
Nutrition Info
Sounds so creamy and delicious! I always put spinach in my pesto too to bulk it up and keep the color a vibrant green. Can’t wait to try this version!
Thank you! Yes, spinach is such an easy way to add nutrients and color 🙂