Packed full of avocados, spinach, basil, garlic, lemon, cottage cheese, and almonds. Creamy Avocado Spinach Pesto is as healthy as it is tasty. Everyone will enjoy this crowd-pleasing pasta dish with a herb and nutty flavour. 

There’s nothing like pasta. It’s the ultimate comfort food and it’s good for you too. Don’t shy away from this carby meal – enjoy it. With each twirly, whirly forkful, you can indulge in a tasty dish that’s healthy too.

As a kid, I used to look forward to pasta dinners. While we never had Pasta Tuesday, I could always guarantee on one pasta-filled dinner each week. Sometimes there would be a simple tomato sauce, other times it would be macaroni and cheese. However we ate it, pasta was always a favourite meal.

Today, pasta night is still a hit. Whether it’s a light marinara sauce or a veggie-packed pasta sauce, pasta night is a favourite night. Creamy Avocado Spinach Pesto is sure to please and it’s a tasty addition to any pasta night!  

Now, let’s talk pesto. With a mix of fabulously fresh flavours, pesto tastes great on practically anything. From pizza to pasta and chicken to fish, pesto is super versatile. Plus, you can make it with almost anything. Try it with sun dried tomatoes, basil or avocados. Any way you make it, pesto is a quick, easy and crave-worthy sauce.

How to Make Creamy Avocado Spinach Pesto

Traditional pesto sauce has a real nutty taste. To replicate that, Creamy Avocado Spinach Pesto is made with toasted almonds. Roasting the almonds enhances the nutty flavour, which permeates through the whole sauce. When it’s combined with avocados, spinach, basil, garlic, lemon and cottage cheese, you have a perfectly creamy sauce with an unbelievable nutty crunch.

Creamy Avocado Spinach Pesto sauce comes together really easily. Simply toss all of the sauce ingredients in a food processor and let it do the work. Before you know it, the sauce is done.

All that’s left is sautéeing the mushrooms and adding chopped tomatoes. You don’t want to leave out the mushrooms and tomatoes. They add texture, colour, but most importantly flavour. The mushrooms enhance the creaminess of the sauce, while the tomatoes add a subtle sweet touch. Yum!

Creamy Avocado Spinach Pesto never lasts long in our house. If you have any leftover, this pesto lasts for three days in the fridge (maybe longer!). The combination of ingredients stops the avocados from turning brown. So you can enjoy the fresh flavour for many days to come.

Looking for the perfect dish to serve with Creamy Avocado Spinach Pesto?

• Healthy Blackened Salmon
• Tomato Baked Chicken
• Warm Avocado Quinoa Salad
• Apple Beer Bread
• The Best Two Bite Brownies

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Creamy Avocado Spinach Pesto

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A delicious 30-minute pasta dish that’s filled with a wonderful mix of flavours. Packed full of avocados, spinach, basil, garlic, lemon, cottage cheese and almonds, this mouth-watering sauce is as healthy as it is tasty. Everyone will enjoy this crowd-pleasing pasta dish with a truly nutty bite.

• Author: Jessica
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 15 mins
• Total Time: 25 mins
• Yield: 4 to 5 1x

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 (12 ounce) package pasta
• 2 cups mushrooms, sliced
• 1 ripe avocado, pitted and peeled
• 1 cup fresh spinach
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 1/2 cup blanched almonds, sliced
• 1/4 cup low fat cottage cheese
• 1/4 cup basil leaves, fresh
• 1 clove garlic, quartered
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C).
2. Cover cookie sheet with parchment paper. Evenly spread out almond slices. Bake for 3 to 4 minutes. Flip almond slices. Bake for 2 more minutes, or until desired colour.
3. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
4. In a food processor, combine avocados, spinach, almonds, cottage cheese, basil, garlic and lemon juice. Process until well combined.
5. In a medium saucepan, saute mushrooms for 3 to 5 minutes, or until they release their water.
6. Transfer cooked pasta to serving bowl. Toss with sauce. Top with tomatoes and mushrooms.
7. Plate and enjoy!

If you love avocados, you may also enjoy Strawberry Guacamole

Rich and Creamy Chocolate Avocado Mousse

Avocado Mediterranean Salad

If you love spinach, you may also enjoy Healthy Spinach Chocolate Chip Bites

Berry Spinach Smoothie

Warm Avocado Quinoa Salad

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