This vegan broccoli avocado pasta will quickly become a favorite staple recipe! Ultra rich and creamy, even if made oil-free and dairy-free, and loaded with crunchy broccoli and sweet cherry tomatoes. The sauce is SO tasty and flavored with fresh basil, garlic and lemon. And the whole recipe can be done within 15 minutes!
Are you team avocado-obsessed like me?
I must have served avocado toasts to my kids at least a hundred times at the end of a hectic day. It just needs a little salt, lemon juice and voila! Dinner is served!
Avocado toast is absolutely a fav over here, but avocados are so versatile and add healthy fats, creaminess and richness to so many other recipes. Other than the usual guacamole dip, use them to top a Mexican buddha bowls or blend them to make sweet chocolate puddings. I even use them to make oil-free chocolate beet muffins and to cream up a cold cucumber soup!
And obv, since I am an eat-pasta-everyday kind of person, I squeeze them in creamy pasta sauces too. Their high-in-fat content makes them a perfect base to use for rich sauces without loading them with dairy, cream or oil. Also, I often use cashews to make creamy pasta sauces, but in this case, using avocado instead makes this recipe completely nut-free.
What does it taste like, you may ask? It is kind of in between eating guacamole pasta (!) vs a creamy pesto sauce. The sauce features basil and lemon juice, which freshens up the heavier avocados, but also garlic for a nice kick. The crunchy broccoli also balances out the smooth rich sauce and the addition of nutritional yeast adds a pleasant little cheesy something.
This vegan avocado pasta is SO delicious and makes for a beautifully green and healthier cream sauce. And pretty much fool-proof!
What's to love about this recipe
- Quick and easy, done within 15 minutes!
- Creamy and rich with an amazing silky texture.
- Ultra versatile: the basic creamy avocado sauce can be loaded with your favorite veggies or plant-based protein.
- Dairy-free, nut-free and fully vegan. The sauce is also 100% gluten-free.
- Healthy and rich in good-for-you fats such as omega-3.
- Great way to include more veggies and healthy fats in your fast growing kids's diet.
What you'll need
- Avocado: use a fully ripe avocado.
- Hemp seeds: add a nice creaminess to the sauce, but also boost with more nutrition such as protein.
- Garlic: for flavor, add more or less depending on how garlicky you want it to be.
- Fresh basil: It gives the sauce a nice pesto flavor, but similar to my green goddess sauce, cilantro or even parsley would work well too.
- Plant-based milk: I love oat milk, but any kind will work. Just be sure it is unsweetened and without vanilla.
- Lemon: brightens up the sauce. Can swap for lime juice or even a little apple cider vinegar in a pinch.
- Nutritional yeast: for a subtle cheesy flavor.
- Broccoli and cherry tomatoes: they pair so well with the creamy sauce, but you can use other vegetables.
- Pasta: I used whole wheat spaghetti noodles, but choose your favorite ones.
How to make it
Making a vegan avocado pasta recipe is super quick, especially if you can manage preparing all the components at the same time. Chop the veggies first, but then make the avocado creamy sauce while the pasta is cooking and the veggies roasting. Your meal should be ready by the time the noodles are done.
Cook the pasta
Keep them al dente and set a small amount of pasta cooking water aside in case you need to loosen up the sauce later on.
Make the avocado cream sauce
In a blender, combine the avocado, hemp seeds, basil, garlic, nutritional yeast, plant-based milk, lemon juice and salt. Blend on high until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Cook the veggies
In a large pan, cook the broccoli until tender, but still crunchy, about 5-7 minutes. I usually spray a tiny amount of oil first, but you don't need it if using a non-stick pan. Then, add the garlic and tomatoes and cook for about 2 more minutes stirring often. Remove from the heat when done to prevent the tomatoes from overcooking (keep them almost intact or they will get mushy after adding the creamy sauce).
Combine the broccoli avocado pasta
In the large pan with the veggies, pour the sauce over and add the noodles too. Start with less pasta and add more as you stir for a more or less saucy pasta dish. Add a splash of pasta cooking water (or more plant-based milk) if you want to thin out the sauce and transfer back on the stove just to warm up everything together. Serve immediately.
Watch how to make it
Cooking tips
- Avocados tend to turn brown after in contact with ambient air, so slice only when ready to blend the sauce.
- While cooking the broccoli, you can add a splash of water once in a while to the pan to help steam the veggies (but keep them crunchy!).
- Once you add the creamy avocado sauce to the pan, don't cook it, simply stir and warm up, then remove from the heat and serve.
- If you find the avocado sauce a little bitter (which depends on your avocado), then you can add a small amount of maple syrup to counterbalance the flavors.
- You will need a fully ripe avocado for this recipe. Avoid ultra soft avocados though, especially with darker spots in the flesh, as it can be bitter.
- Wait to pour the sauce in the pan before adjusting the texture. The juice from the tomatoes and broccoli will combine to the creamy sauce and might loosen up the consistency a bit.
Serving suggestions and substitutions
Serve with vegan parmesan and ground black pepper. Add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes for a spicy kick and more fresh basil. Finely sliced green onions also would add a nice onion-y flavor and a drizzle of thick balsamic vinegar would pair very well with the flavors.
This recipe is also a great meal to keep in your weeknight dinner rotation as it is quick and simple, but also SO versatile. Switch up the broccoli and tomatoes for corn, spinach, kale, mushrooms and red pepper. I even enjoy the pasta + sauce with no veggies at all for those nights where I don't want to chop/cook very much.
To boost your meal with more plant-based protein, good ideas would be marinated smoky tofu, miso tempeh, chickpeas or vegan TVP bacon bits for a smoky flavor. I tend to also sprinkle almost any pasta dishes with hemp seeds (often combined with nutritional yeast + garlic powder + a little salt as seen in the picture) to add extra protein and healthy fat to my meal.
What kind of pasta to use
Go all the way 'ultra wholesome' and try using whole wheat pasta when making this recipe. Whole wheat noodles take some time to get used to, but they add so much more fiber and extra protein compared to white noodles. Linguine, spaghetti, fettuccine or any short noodles work well. Maybe do half white, half whole wheat if trying to transition. Also use gluten-free noodles if necessary (the sauce is naturally gluten-free).
This recipe would also work well with zoodles (zucchini noodles). In that case, try to include beans/tofu so your meal is filling enough.
Chickpea noodles would be a great choice too and will help you feel full longer. Or try it over gnocchi!
Storage
As much as I love to meal-prep, this avocado pesto sauce is not to be made ahead. Avocados tend to turn brown over time and even change in flavor, so it is best when enjoyed right away.
If you do have leftovers, then transfer in an air-tight container and splash extra lemon juice over the pasta to limit the oxidation process (it can act like a barrier). It should be fine if eaten within 12 hours. Keep in the fridge.
FAQ's
Yes you can, but I recommend to swap for another herb in that case so it does not lack in flavor. Parsley and cilantro would be amazing, even add some mint for extra fresh flavors if making in the summer.
Yes you can. I love using a Vitamix as it creates the most creamy kind of sauces, but a food processor would work too!
Other vegan creamy pasta recipes you might like
- Vegan cashew white pasta sauce
- Vegan cajun tofu pasta
- Cauliflower Alfredo
- Tahini garlic pasta
- Vegan baked mac and cheese
- Quick creamy tomato pasta
- Vegan roasted garlic pasta bake
- Butternut squash mac and cheese
- Quick hummus pasta
- Vegan green pasta sauce
- Vegan sun-dried tomato pasta
I hope you like this broccoli avocado pasta meal as much as we do! If you try it, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how it was. Your feedback is so helpful!
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Vegan Broccoli Avocado Pasta with Tomatoes
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
- pasta of your choice - cooked al dente (I used whole wheat spaghetti, about 12 oz)
- 1 small head of broccoli - chopped in bite size florets
- 2 cloves of garlic - crushed or thinly sliced
- 1 ½ cup cherry tomatoes - halved
- salt - to taste
Avocado basil sauce
- 1 medium size avocado - pitted and peeled
- ½ cup fresh basil - packed, plus more for serving
- 2 tbsp hemp seeds
- 1 clove of garlic
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp lemon juice - or 1-2 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar
- ¾ cup plant-based milk - plain
- ½ tsp salt - or to taste
Instructions
- Cook the noodles al dente accordingly to packaging (keep some pasta cooking water to thin out the sauce later).
- In a blender, combine all the avocado sauce ingredients and blend on high until smooth, taking a few breaks to scrape the walls. Taste and adjust the lemon juice and salt to your taste. Set aside.
- Warm up a large pan and then add the broccoli florets. Use a little oil or water to prevent the veggies from sticking to the pan. Stir once in a while and cook on medium-high heat for about 5-7 minutes or until tender, but still crunchy. You can add a few tablespoons of water once or twice to help steam the veggies.
- Then, add the garlic and tomatoes. Cook for about 2 more minutes while stirring (don't overcook the tomatoes).
- Add the avocado sauce to the pan and the cooked pasta (start with less and add more pasta as needed depending on how saucy you want it to be). Stir to combine and remove from the heat once warmed up (you do not want to cook the sauce, only warm up everything together). Serve right away with more fresh basil and black ground pepper.
Video
Notes
- Storage: this recipe does not store that well as the avocado oxidate over time. If you do have leftovers, transfer to an air-tight container and splash some extra lemon juice over to try limit the oxidation. It should be ok to eat within 12 hours.
- If you find the avocado sauce a little bitter (which depends on your avocado), then you can add a small amount of maple syrup to counterbalance the flavors.
- You will need a fully ripe avocado for this recipe. Avoid ultra soft avocado though, especially with darker spots in the flesh, as it can be bitter.
- Wait to pour the sauce in the pan before adjusting the texture. The juice from the tomatoes and broccoli will combine to the creamy sauce and might loosen up the consistency a bit.
- This is a very versatile recipe! Try adding other fresh herbs to the sauce such as parsley, cilantro and mint. Combine the sauce with roasted mushrooms, peas, spinach, kale, tofu, tempeh and cooked beans.
Pin it for later!
Just made this for lunch and it was incredible! The sauce is creamy and fresh and it mixes so well with the cooked veggies, such a healthy and delicious meal! Thank you!