Creamy Avocado Pesto

4.7
(58)
45 Reviews
20 Photos

A creamy pesto without the cream! This avocado pesto sauce is delicious on pasta — I guarantee you'll never make it a different way again. Double the recipe for a full pound of pasta.

Submitted by Nicmic921
Updated on October 19, 2022
20
20
20
20
20
Prep Time:
10 mins
Cook Time:
15 mins
Total Time:
25 mins
Servings:
4
Jump to Nutrition Facts

Ingredients

  • 1 (8 ounce) package penne pasta

  • ¼ pound uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (Optional)

  • 1 medium avocado, peeled and pitted

  • ½ cup fresh basil leaves, or to taste

  • 4 tablespoons grated Romano cheese, divided

  • 2 cloves garlic

  • ½ medium lemon, juiced

  • salt and ground black pepper to taste

  • ¼ cup olive oil, or as needed

  • ¼ cup diced cherry tomatoes, or more to taste (Optional)

Directions

  1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add penne and cook, stirring occasionally, until mostly cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Add shrimp to the pot and cook until bright pink on the outside and the meat is opaque, 2 to 3 minutes; penne should be cooked through at this point.

  2. While the penne is cooking, combine avocado, basil, 2 tablespoons Romano cheese, garlic, and lemon juice in a food processor; season with salt and pepper. Process until smooth. Add olive oil and pulse until creamy. Remove the blade from the food processor; stir diced tomatoes into pesto.

  3. Drain penne and shrimp, then return to the pot. Add pesto, season with salt and pepper, and stir to coat.

  4. Garnish servings with remaining Romano cheese.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

480 Calories
25g Fat
50g Carbs
17g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 4
Calories 480
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 25g 31%
Saturated Fat 5g 23%
Cholesterol 51mg 17%
Sodium 145mg 6%
Total Carbohydrate 50g 18%
Dietary Fiber 7g 24%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 17g 33%
Vitamin C 19mg 21%
Calcium 125mg 10%
Iron 3mg 18%
Potassium 420mg 9%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.

You’ll Also Love

Creamy Saffron Shrimp with Gnocchi and Caramelized Onion
77 Ratings
Easy Garlic-Shrimp Pasta
1 Rating
Easy and Tasty Pasta with Shrimp and Asparagus
2 Ratings
Gnocchi with Pesto and Shrimp
11 Ratings
Lemon Shrimp Pasta
4 Ratings
Lemon Pasta with Shrimp
Shrimp Spaghetti
1 Rating
close up view of Creamy Shrimp with penne pasta in a bowl with colorful circles
Creamy Shrimp Pasta
16 Ratings
shrimp fettucine on plate
Quick Shrimp Fettuccine with Pesto Alfredo Sauce
1 Rating
Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta
457 Ratings
Diablo Shrimp Saute
7 Ratings
Shrimp and Mushroom Linguini with Creamy Cheese Herb Sauce
1,136 Ratings
Avocado Carbonara for Two
2 Ratings
a top down view of a bowl of shrimp scampi served over linguini.
Creamy Shrimp Scampi with Half-and-Half
107 Ratings
Old Bay Shrimp and Pasta Alfredo
7 Ratings
Shrimp in Avocado Cream Sauce
31 Ratings