Step up your pasta game with this spicy avocado pesto cream sauce! Made with avocados, pesto, cream, and lots of herbs and spices, this sauce is filling while still feeling light and refreshing, so it's perfect for both a hearty dinner or a light lunch.
This avocado cream sauce incorporates some of my favorite flavors in a hearty pasta dish while still feeling lighter than other cream sauces. The avocado just brings a unique flavor to the front of the palate here, giving it an almost-healthy taste, but doesn't leave you wanting more. Plus, the cayenne and red pepper flakes add that slight bit of heat that I love so much! You also don’t have to add the spinach in, but I like the extra greens, especially since they look so pretty once the pasta is plated. If you’re making fresh pasta, use my homemade pasta recipe here!
Here are some more pasta and sauce recipes you'll love: Summer Corn and White Wine Chickpea Pasta, Loaded Baked Potato Ravioli, and Heart Shaped Creamy Beet Pasta for Two.
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Ingredients & Equipment
You’ll need the following ingredients and equipment to make this spicy avocado pesto cream sauce:
- Pasta dough
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- Avocado
- Pesto
- Heavy cream
- Parmesan cheese
- Spinach
- Italian seasoning
- Cayenne pepper
- Red pepper flakes
- Salt and pepper
Customize This Recipe!
There are a few different ways you can customize this recipe:
- Spinach: take it or leave it. I, for one, love a bit of spinach in this sauce because it adds flavor and color, but you can leave it out if you're not a fan.
- Your sauce, your spice level. If this sauce isn't spicy enough for your palate, add more cayenne and red pepper flakes to your heart's desire!
Kitchen Tips:
- Utilize mise en place! Make sure you have all of your ingredients prepped and ready before you begin making this recipe - it will help save you time and keep you organized.
- Mash your avocado well. Be sure to really get your avocado smooth, unless you want chunks in your sauce. It'll thin out a bit when you combine the avocado with the heavy cream, but starting with a super smooth avocado base will help a ton!
More pasta and sauce recipes:
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Spicy Avocado Pesto Cream Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ avocado mashed
- 1 tablespoon pesto
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- handful of spinach chopped
- pinch Italian seasoning
- pinch ground cayenne
- pinch red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Begin boiling your pasta before starting to make the sauce. dried pasta should cook about 8 minutes, but if you're making fresh pasta dough, only boil it for about 3-4 minutes and then set aside, saving a small amount of the pasta water.
- Heat your olive oil and garlic over medium heat until garlic begins to brown slightly.
- Add in your mashed avocado and pesto and stir until combined. let simmer for a minute or two.
- Add in your heavy cream, stirring until fully mixed. add in your herbs and spices and whisk together to combine.
- Simmer for 2-3 minutes to thicken slightly. then add in parmesan cheese and spinach and stir fully.
- Add your pasta (with the small bit of water) to your sauce and fold together to coat the pasta fully.
- Top with some extra pepper flakes and parmesan cheese, then serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Utilize mise en place! Make sure you have all of your ingredients prepped and ready before you begin making this recipe – it will help save you time and keep you organized.
- Mash your avocado well. Be sure to really get your avocado smooth, unless you want chunks in your sauce. It’ll thin out a bit when you combine the avocado with the heavy cream, but starting with a super smooth avocado base will help a ton!
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