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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
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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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