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Prep time
10 minutes
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Cook time
15 minutes
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Serves
2 to 4
Test Kitchen Notes
In this riff on classic pesto, California Avocados bring a creamy, rich texture while soaked cashews and nutritional yeast stand in for the traditional pine nuts and Parmigiano-Reggiano. The finished sauce coats the pasta beautifully—just check out that gorgeous green hue. Even better, the whole dish can be made vegan-friendly if you leave out the chicken breasts. This meal makes for a delicious weekday lunch or dinner, since it comes together in well under 30 minutes.
This recipe is shared in partnership with California Avocados. —The Editors
Watch This Recipe
Avocado Pesto Pasta With Chicken & Cherry Tomatoes
Ingredients
- For the pasta:
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1 pound
spaghetti
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2
cooked chicken breasts, sliced
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1/2 pint
cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- For the pesto:
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1
large California Avocado, ripened
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1/2 cup
fresh basil leaves, packed
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1
large handful fresh spinach
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1/4 cup
cashew pieces, soaked for at least 4 hours
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Juice of 1/2 lemon
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2 tablespoons
extra-virgin olive oil
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2
garlic cloves, minced
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1/2 teaspoon
sea salt
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1 tablespoon
nutritional yeast
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Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
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1 cup
reserved pasta water
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1/4 cup
plain, unsweetened nut milk
Directions
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Boil the spaghetti according to the package instructions, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water before straining. Set aside the strained pasta and reserved pasta water.
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While the spaghetti is cooking, slice the chicken breasts and cherry tomatoes.
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Once pasta is done, make the pesto: Add all pesto ingredients to a blender, starting with 1/4 cup of the pasta water. Blend on high, adding more pasta water as needed, until smooth.
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Add cooked spaghetti to a large bowl and toss with the avocado pesto, sliced chicken, and cherry tomatoes to combine. Top with fresh black pepper and more salt, to taste, and serve.
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