Looking for a deceivingly quick family dinner that can be made in less than 15 minutes with minimal ingredients and effort? Then, I got you! This warm Avocado Spinach Pesto Pasta is made with eight simple ingredients as well as a hidden veggie (go spinach!), and is easily customizable to your family’s food preferences. It will surely have any picky eater going back for seconds! Perfect for babies 6+ months – adults.
Avocado Pasta With Spinach Video
Tonight, you will not be getting takeout!
Because you now have this little gem of a recipe, that takes less than 15-minutes, requires ZERO percent brain power, and can be made at the same time you load the dishwasher with all of those dirty school lunch bento boxes (why are there always SO MANY afterschool dishes?!).
It all starts with making your favorite box of pasta. Any shape, size, or style will work here. Let’s not make this more complicated than it should be.
Then, for this creamy avocado spinach pasta, we’re blending up a ripe avocado, a handful of spinach and basil, a few cloves of garlic (measure that with your heart), a little olive oil and fresh lemon juice, and some Parm. The result is a light, flavorful sauce that ALWAYS has my kids going back for seconds, and sometimes even thirds!
Yes, you can:
🍤 Add some protein such as cooked shrimp or chicken
🍅 Add in quartered cherry tomatoes, cut in half mini mozzarella pearls, and toasted pinenuts
🥒 Use zoodles instead of pasta, if that is your thing
#momhack—Want fewer dishes and to save even more time? Double this Avocado Spinach Pesto so you can use one serving for dinner tonight and freeze the second portion in a stasher bag or freezer baggie for another dinner later in the month. Just toss the frozen baggie into the fridge the night before to defrost, or pop the block of frozen pesto into a microwave-safe dish and microwave for 1-2 minutes.
Plus, this recipe is great for the entire family. You can serve it to your baby for a chunky stage 3 puree or for baby-led weaning, separated out so your toddler can dip the pasta into the pesto, my kids love adding their own toppings, and of course, adults love this as well. It’s great for dinner and if there are in any leftovers, you can certainly pack it into a packed lunch for the next day.
Ingredients
Make sure to read the full recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients and instructions.
- Pasta: we’re using bowtie pasta for this recipe, but you can use any shape of pasta, spaghetti, or noodles you prefer, or you can sub whole wheat, gluten-free, protein pasta, or zucchini noodles
- Avocado: a fresh, ripe avocado works best to make the creamiest sauce
- Spinach: fresh baby spinach works best, but you can sub in frozen and thawed spinach as well; just use half as much as the recipe indicates
- Basil: we are using fresh basil in this recipe.
- Lemon: fresh lemon juice works best in this recipe, but bottled lemon juice will also work
- Parmesan: sprinkle as much or as little as you’d like
Gluten-Free Recipe Tip: Use your favorite gluten-free pasta or a legume-based pasta, such as lentil or chickpea. You can even make it with zucchini noodles!
Let’s Do This!
Add-Ins
This wonderful avocado spinach pasta has so many options for add-ins or variations, if you’d like! Here are a few of my favorites.
- Top with halved or quartered cherry tomatoes
- Boost the protein with shrimp or diced chicken
- Stir in some cooked peas or broccoli
- Serve with crumbled bacon on top
- Sub “zoodles” or zucchini noodles for the traditional pasta
- Top with feta cheese
- Add in cut mini mozzarella pearls
- Add in toasted pinenuts
If you are here, then I know you need even more kid-friendly meals. I’ve got you! Check out my best-selling cookbook, Little Foodies: Recipes for Babies and Toddlers with Taste.
Recipe Tips
- Spaghetti, soba noodles or zucchini noodles are best. This avocado spinach pasta can work with any shape or type of pasta, but the ones just mentioned work particularly well due to the sauce’s thickness. Tubular pasta, like rigatoni or penne, won’t get as much sauce inside their shapes with this sauce.
- Use ripe avocados. The key to getting that extra smooth, creamy sauce is making sure your avocados are very ripe. Underripe avocados won’t result in the best texture.
- Cooking for little ones. When making pasta for babies, it should be cooked fully and a little past al dente so that it’s easily squishable. If the rest of your family prefers a little firmer pasta, just take out portions for them and cook the rest a little longer for your baby.
- Get out your kitchen shears. Use these to cut spaghetti and other noodles in your baby or toddler’s bowl to save time and make it easier for little ones to eat.
- Make it dairy-free. Simply omit the cheese or use a dairy-free substitute.
Quick Avocado Spinach Pesto Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 oz pasta, bowtie or any other pasta shape you prefer
- 1 ripe avocado
- 1/2 cup baby spinach, not packed
- 1/2 cup fresh basil, not packed
- 1/4 cup parmesan, plus more for servings
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add pasta, and cook according to the package directions. Once cooked, drain and place back into the pot.
![A silver sauce, pan with boiling water and pasta.]()
- Meanwhile, in a food processor, add the avocado, spinach, basil, parmesan, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.
![A food processor on the white countertop with spinach basil, Parmesan, lemon juice, and avocado, getting ready to be mixed together.]()
- Turn on the food processor and let run for 1-3 minutes, scrapping down sides every 30 seconds or so. If the pesto is too thick, you can add in 1 tbsp of olive oil at a time until you reach your desired consistency.
![A silver food processor on a white countertop with a avocado, spinach pesto sauce mixed together.]()
- Add as much Avocado Spinach Pesto to your pasta as you prefer. Sprinkle with a little more parmesan and serve.
![A silvers size pan with bowtie pasta mixed with a creamy green avocado, spinach pesto.]()
Video
Notes
- It’s chock full of healthy fats from the avocado to benefit heart and brain health
- This pasta is full of fiber due to the avocado, spinach and whole grain or legume pasta (if you’re using it) to help support digestive health
- It’s bursting with important vitamins and minerals like iron, potassium, vitamin C, B vitamins, vitamin K, beta carotene and antioxidants to support a variety of body functions.
- Pasta is a great source of carbohydrates, which are our main source of energy.
Medically reviewed and cowritten by Jamie Johnson, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), and Lauren Braaten, Pediatric Occupational Therapist (OT).
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