Vegan Broccoli Avocado Pasta with Tomatoes
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!
Servings: 3 servings
Calories: 585kcal
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
- 8 oz 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.
- Nutrition: please note that the nutritional information is an estimate per serving provided for informational purposes only (calculated by software) and accuracy is not guaranteed. Consult with your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if you need precise nutrition calculations for health reasons.
Nutrition
Calories: 585kcal | Carbohydrates: 89g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Sodium: 501mg | Potassium: 1455mg | Fiber: 15g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 2111IU | Vitamin C: 208mg | Calcium: 241mg | Iron: 6mg