If you love Pasta Salad, this Creamy Avocado Pasta Salad will impress you!! There is a secret ingredient packed into the avocado dressing that is healthy and so sneaky, no one will suspect it’s there.
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This avocado pasta salad recipe is so vibrant, healthy and loaded with sweet corn, peas, cherry tomatoes and creamy avocados! The veggies cook right in the same pot with the pasta so this couldn’t be easier!
This recipe couldn’t be easier. It comes together quickly and is one of the most tempting looking salads I’ve come across. It’s creamy, vibrant, fresh and so satisfying!
The idea for this came from this oldie but goodie recipe. This avocado pasta salad is ultra smooth and flavorful. Everything about it is good, and also good for you!!
Pasta Salad Ingredients:
This Pasta Salad has simple ingredients (it is loaded with avocados!) and it comes together quickly. The spinach is the surprise ingredient. It blends into the sauce so well and you have a healthier pasta salad! This pasta salad is loaded with good-for-you ingredients.
How To Make Creamy Avocado Pasta Salad:
1. Cook pasta according to package instructions – I cooked 12 oz pasta in 4 Qts water with 1 Tbsp salt and boiled 10 minutes. About 4 minutes before your pasta is done cooking, add frozen peas and frozen corn and cook 4 minutes or until veggies are crisp tender. Rinse under running cold water to chill the pasta. Drain well and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
2. In a food processor or blender, combine half of your spinach, 2 quartered avocados, 4 Tbsp lemon juice, 1 sliced garlic clove, 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Pulse/puree until blended then add remaining spinach and pulse until creamy and smooth.
3. Add avocado dressing to the pasta bowl along with sliced tomatoes and 1 remaining sliced avocado. Toss everything together until evenly coated. Season to taste with more salt and black pepper.
If you’re feeling adventurous, you can garnish with chives and crumbled bacon (totally optional, but nice).
P.S. This pasta salad tastes best fresh but leftovers are still good the next day and make for a perfect work or school lunch!
Love this Pasta Salad? More Pasta Recipes to Discover:
- Creamy Shrimp Pasta – better than Olive Garden’s!
- Shrimp Scampi Pasta – this sauce is so fresh, easy and flavorful
- Spaghetti and Meatballs – this recipe satisfies the fiercest cravings
⬇ Print-Friendly Avocado Pasta Salad Recipe:
Creamy Avocado Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 3 oz fresh baby spinach, (4 cups lightly packed)
- 4 Tbsp lemon juice, from 1 large lemon
- 1 garlic clove, sliced
- 3 avocados (medium), 2 for dressing, 1 for salad
- 12 oz rotini pasta
- 1 cup frozen sweet peas, (half of a 10 oz bag of Bird's Eye)
- 1 cup frozen corn, (half of a 10 oz bag Bird's Eye )
- 2 cups baby tomatoes, halved
- 1 tsp sea salt , or to taste
- 1/4 tsp black pepper, or to taste
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package instructions - I cooked 12 oz pasta in 4 Qts water with 1 Tbsp salt and boiled 10 min. About 4 min before pasta is done cooking, add frozen peas and corn and cook 4 min until veggies are crisp tender. Rinse under running cold water to chill pasta. Drain well and transfer to large mixing bowl.
- In a food processor or blender, combine half of the spinach, 2 quartered avocados, 4 Tbsp lemon juice, 1 sliced garlic clove, 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Pulse until blended then add remaining spinach and blend until creamy and smooth.
- Add avocado dressing to pasta bowl along with sliced tomatoes and 1 remaining sliced avocado. Toss salad together until evenly coated. Season to taste with more salt and black pepper.
Nutrition Per Serving
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
As a busy Mom, I love shortcuts so I always keep a stash of peas and corn in the freezer and often mix them with fresh ingredients in my cooking for a healthy and easy boost of vegetables. They are perfect for pasta salads!
I will be making this recipe today. My question is, will the leftovers be brown tomorrow? You know, avocados turn brown so fast.
Hi Patrice, I have made it a day ahead and it keeps really well covered and refrigerated without browning. For the most vibrant color, place a sheet of plastic wrap directly over the surface and then refrigerate. The less air, the better.
Hi Natasha
Hope all is good with you.
I’m wondering when your cookbook is comping out. Please hurry! Lol
My thoughts are with you and the people of Ukrainian.
Linda Flanagin
Hi Linda, thank you for waiting for the cookbook. I am currently working on it and I’ll make sure to share it when it’s done!
This looks so delicious! But I’m wondering if you suggest what I can do to leave out the spinach? Unfortunately my husband cannot eat spinach due to kidney stones. Could I just leave it out, or substitute with something else?
Hi Chrissy, I think you could just leave it out and it would still taste good. You could try to substitute with another leaf green.
Natasha, what happens to the other part of spinach? Why do we add just half of the amount?
Hi Kate, See step two, we add the spinach in steps: “In a food processor or blender, combine half of your spinach, 2 quartered avocados, 4 Tbsp lemon juice, 1 sliced garlic clove, 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Pulse/puree until blended then add remaining spinach and pulse until creamy and smooth.” I hope that helps!
I love this blog Natasha, I follow it all the time.Thanks for sharing all your recipes, very nutritional and very tasty. I have learned a lot from you. My family is very happy with all the meals I prepared thanks to you. You are awesome!
Aww, that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I’m all smiles
This looks amazing, I normal wouldn’t change any if you recipes as they are spot on delicious. I don’t care for tomatoes but like sun dried tomatoes. Could I use them? Also could I incorporate edamame or do you think that would be over kill?
Hi Melody, this recipe is pretty versatile. I would love to know how you like it with those substitutions.
Is the nutrition information per serving or for the whole salad?
Hi Anna, it is per serving.
My husband does NOT like mayo. So this was a perfect recipe to try because I love pasta salads and was tired of making ones that call for a dressing. I added shredded chicken to mine. Hubby loved it!!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing that great review with me Shanida!
You think it might be good to add some chick peas? I can’t wait to make this but my husband LOVES CHICK PEAS! Thank you!
Hi Debi, I have not tested that but I bet it could work! If you experiment, please let me know how you like that.
I thought it would be better, it’s blend and has a little bitter after taste. But definitely healthier than Alfredo pasta.
Hi Vita, I would suggest adding salt and fresh lemon juice to taste to give it more of a punch of flavor. Also, make sure you are using the correct proportion of sauce to pasta. Too much pasta will make it taste blander.
Easy and delicious fornthe summer! I added parmesan cheese and increased the garlic. Next time I think I will add some chopped scallions!
I’m so glad you enjoyed that Anne! Thank you for sharing that great review with me!
Made this for st Patrick’s day yesterday. SUPER good. Definitely needed to add the pepper and salt for added taste. Added in the bacon bits and tossed in some shredded parmesan cheese as well. BIG HIT!! Super simple and will be making again for Mother’s day picnic!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the wonderful review!
Natasha,
My husband and I get together with my best friend and her husband once a week. This recipe looks DELIGHTFUL! I am bringing this as a side tomorrow night! I did pre-make just the pasta with corn and peas. I think that will be fine chilling in the fridge overnight, don’t you?
P.S. I have a ton of your recipes bookmarked already in my meal plan in the near future. So glad I found your site!!! 😀
That should work great, Jozi! I’m so happy to hear you are enjoying my blog! Thank you for sharing that with us 🙂
A friend shared this recipe with us a couple of weeks ago. He added a 1/4 cup vegan bacon bits. Awesome! Was great as a left over the next day. On the day after the avocado started to brown. Will be fixing this one tonight for dinner!!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that Robert!
Natasha, do you think the avocado will brown if it is stays overnight. I am thinking of making this salad for my son for school lunch.
thank you, Zoya
Hi Zoya, I have made it a day ahead and it keeps really well covered and refrigerated without browning. For the most vibrant color, place a sheet of plastic wrap directly over the surface and then refrigerate. The less air, the better.
can you use spiral zuchinni instead of pasta?
Hi Nancy, I haven’t tested that but I think it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe