Veggie Smuggler Avocado Pasta (Printable Version)

Creamy avocado pasta with zucchini, spinach, broccoli, and peas blended into a smooth sauce that even picky eaters will love.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz whole wheat or regular spaghetti or linguine

→ Avocado Sauce

02 - 2 ripe avocados, pitted and peeled
03 - 1 small zucchini, roughly chopped
04 - 1 cup baby spinach
05 - 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
06 - 2 tbsp lemon juice
07 - 2 cloves garlic
08 - 1/4 cup olive oil
09 - 3-4 tbsp unsweetened plant-based milk or dairy milk
10 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Hidden Veggies

11 - 1 cup broccoli florets, steamed
12 - 1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed

→ Garnish

13 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese or vegan alternative
14 - Chopped fresh basil (optional)
15 - Lemon zest (optional)

# How to Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining.
02 - While pasta cooks, steam broccoli florets until tender, approximately 3-4 minutes. Set aside.
03 - Combine avocados, zucchini, spinach, basil, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, and 3 tbsp milk in blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy, adding additional milk if needed to achieve desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper.
04 - Toss hot drained pasta with avocado sauce, broccoli, and peas in large mixing bowl. Add reserved pasta water as needed to loosen sauce and coat pasta evenly. Serve immediately topped with Parmesan, extra basil, and lemon zest if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The sauce is impossibly creamy without any heavy cream, making it lighter than traditional pasta dishes
  • You can pack in vegetables that even vegetable skeptics wont notice because the sauce is so velvety and flavorful
02 -
  • The avocado sauce will darken slightly over time but the lemon juice helps slow this down significantly
  • Add the pasta water gradually, you can always thin the sauce but you cant thicken it back up
03 -
  • Room temperature avocados blend much smoother than cold ones from the fridge
  • If making this ahead, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the sauce to prevent browning

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