Avocado Pasta Salad
This Avocado Pasta Salad is creamy, fresh, and ready in under 30 minutes. Ripe avocados are mashed with lime juice, garlic, and cilantro to create a lush, herby dressing that coats every strand of pasta beautifully — no mayo or heavy cream required. Tossed with cherry tomatoes and red onion, it's a bright, satisfying dish that works as a light lunch, a side dish, or the star of any potluck spread.
Equipment
- Large pasta pot For boiling the pasta
- Colander For draining and rinsing the pasta
- Large mixing bowl For making the dressing and tossing the salad
- Fork or potato masher For mashing the avocado into a smooth dressing
- Sharp chef's knife For halving avocados, tomatoes, and dicing onion
- Cutting board
- Wooden spoon or silicone spatula For tossing the pasta with the dressing
- Citrus juicer or reamer For squeezing the lime; optional but helpful
Ingredients
For the Pasta
- 12 oz linguine or spaghetti 340g; broken in half before cooking
For the Avocado Dressing
- 2 ripe avocados flesh scooped out; should give slightly when pressed
- 2 tablespoons lime juice freshly squeezed; about 1 large lime
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro roughly chopped; about 10g; sub flat-leaf parsley or fresh basil if preferred
For the Salad
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes about 75g; halved
- 1/4 cup red onion about 40g; finely diced; soak in cold water 5 minutes to mellow the bite if desired
Seasoning
- salt to taste; plus more for the pasta water
- black pepper to taste; freshly ground preferred
- red pepper flakes optional; add a pinch for heat
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a full rolling boil over high heat, then add a generous pinch of salt — the water should taste mildly salty.
- Break the linguine or spaghetti in half, add to the boiling water, and cook until al dente according to package directions (about 9 to 12 minutes). Reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water before draining.
- Drain the pasta in a colander and rinse immediately under cold running water to stop cooking and cool it down, then shake well to remove excess water.
- Scoop the avocado flesh into a large mixing bowl, add the lime juice and minced garlic, then mash with a fork until mostly smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Halve the cherry tomatoes, finely dice the red onion, and roughly chop the fresh cilantro.
- Add the cooled pasta to the avocado dressing and toss gently until every strand is well coated, adding reserved pasta water one tablespoon at a time if the dressing feels too thick.
- Fold in the cherry tomatoes, red onion, and cilantro, then taste and adjust salt, pepper, or lime juice as needed. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes if desired.
- Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with extra cilantro and a pinch of red pepper flakes if desired, and serve immediately for the best color and flavor.
Notes
- Use fully ripe avocados for the smoothest, creamiest dressing. A ripe avocado should give slightly when gently pressed and have dark green to nearly black skin.
- Do not skip the lime juice — it both brightens the flavor and slows browning of the avocado. Freshly squeezed lime is strongly preferred over bottled.
- Always rinse pasta with cold water for pasta salads. It stops the cooking process, prevents clumping, and cools the pasta so the avocado dressing doesn't melt or brown on contact.
- If the raw red onion is too sharp for your taste, soak the diced onion in cold water for 5 to 10 minutes, then drain before adding to the salad.
- Not a fan of cilantro? Substitute an equal amount of fresh flat-leaf parsley or fresh basil for a completely different but equally delicious flavor.
- To make ahead, prepare the pasta and vegetables separately and store them in the fridge. Make the avocado dressing just before serving and toss everything together at the last minute.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container with plastic wrap pressed directly against the surface of the salad to slow browning. Best consumed within 1 day. Do not freeze.
- Before serving leftovers, add a fresh squeeze of lime juice and toss gently to refresh the color and brighten the flavor.
- To add protein, stir in grilled chicken strips, cooked shrimp, canned tuna, or chickpeas when tossing the pasta with the dressing in step 6.
- For a gluten-free version, substitute any gluten-free pasta in the same quantity. The rest of the recipe requires no changes.
Nutrition
Serving: 1ServingCalories: 490kcalCarbohydrates: 70gProtein: 13gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 2.5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gSodium: 200mgPotassium: 680mgFiber: 9gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 8IUVitamin C: 20mgCalcium: 4mgIron: 10mg
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