Creamy Vegan Avocado Bell Pepper Pasta: Your Quick & Healthy 20-Minute Meal
Prepare to delight your taste buds with this incredibly creamy and flavorful avocado bell pepper pasta. Bursting with the freshness of ripe avocado, sweet roasted red peppers, aromatic basil, zesty garlic, and a hint of lemon juice, this dish is a true celebration of vibrant, plant-based ingredients. It’s a culinary masterpiece that delivers on both taste and convenience, making it an ideal choice for a busy weeknight.
What makes this vegan pasta recipe truly stand out is its effortless preparation. Forget tedious chopping and long cooking times; with a simple blender or food processor, you can transform these fresh components into a smooth, rich, and incredibly satisfying sauce in mere minutes. The result? A wholesome, delicious dinner on your table in 20 minutes or less, proving that healthy eating doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming.
The velvety texture and robust flavor profile of this creamy roasted red pepper and avocado sauce are so inviting that it’s guaranteed to win over even the most discerning palates. Inspired by a fantastic recipe from Oh She Glows, we’ve refined it to bring you an even more irresistible experience. This dish isn’t just a meal; it’s a testament to how simple, fresh ingredients can create something extraordinary.
Looking for more easy and delicious pasta inspirations? Be sure to explore our tuna pesto pasta for a different flavor profile, or dive into the comforting goodness of cheeseburger macaroni. If you have extra ripe avocados on hand, don’t let them go to waste – try our refreshing avocado lime ranch dressing for salads and dips!
Why You’ll Adore This Avocado Bell Pepper Pasta Recipe
This avocado bell pepper pasta isn’t just another dinner recipe; it’s a culinary game-changer that combines convenience with incredible flavor and health benefits. Here are just a few reasons why this dish will become a staple in your kitchen:
- Effortlessly Easy & Quick to Prepare: Say goodbye to extensive prep work! The genius of this recipe lies in its simplicity. All you need to do is toss the sauce ingredients into your blender or food processor, and with a few pulses, you’ll have a luscious, vibrant sauce ready in minutes. This means less time in the kitchen and more time enjoying your meal, perfect for those busy weeknights when you crave something homemade but fast. You’ll go from pantry to plate in roughly 20 minutes!
- Deliciously Vegan & Easily Adaptable: This recipe proudly stands as a dairy-free and plant-based meal, making it a fantastic option for vegans, vegetarians, or anyone looking to incorporate more plant-based dishes into their diet. The creamy texture comes naturally from the ripe avocado, offering a rich mouthfeel without any dairy. For those with gluten sensitivities, simply swap out traditional pasta for your favorite gluten-free alternative (like brown rice or lentil pasta), and you’ll have a completely gluten-free creamy pasta dish that everyone can enjoy.
- Packed with Fresh Flavors: The combination of sweet roasted red peppers, creamy avocado, pungent garlic, bright lemon, and fragrant fresh basil creates a symphony of flavors that is both comforting and exhilarating. Every bite is a burst of freshness, making this dish feel gourmet yet accessible.
- Naturally Healthy & Nutritious: Avocados are renowned for their healthy fats, while bell peppers offer a good dose of vitamins and antioxidants. This pasta is a wholesome way to enjoy a satisfying meal that’s good for you, too.
- Picky-Eater Approved: Thanks to its smooth, thick, and incredibly creamy sauce, even the most selective eaters often find themselves asking for seconds. The vibrant color and gentle flavors are universally appealing!
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Essential Ingredients for Your Creamy Pasta
Crafting this luscious avocado bell pepper pasta sauce requires just a handful of fresh, simple ingredients. Each component plays a crucial role in building the dish’s vibrant flavor and incredible creaminess. Here’s what you’ll need to gather:
- Fettuccine: We recommend using 12 ounces of fettuccine for its broad surface area, which perfectly holds the creamy sauce. However, other pasta shapes like spaghetti, linguine, or even rotini work wonderfully too, so feel free to use your favorite.
- Avocado: The star of our creamy sauce! It is absolutely crucial that your avocado is ripe for the best flavor and texture. A ripe avocado will yield slightly to gentle pressure and have a darker green skin. See our tips below on how to pick the perfect one!
- Roasted Red Peppers: These add a wonderfully sweet, smoky depth and a beautiful golden hue to the sauce. You can easily make your own roasted red peppers for an extra fresh touch, or opt for the convenience of jarred roasted red peppers, which are typically found in the pickle or olive aisle of most grocery stores. Just be sure to drain them well before using.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic cloves are best for their pungent, aromatic flavor that truly elevates the sauce. While jarred, pre-minced garlic can be used in a pinch, fresh will always offer a superior taste.
- Basil: Fresh basil is non-negotiable for this recipe! Its sweet, peppery aroma complements the other ingredients beautifully. Dried basil simply won’t provide the same vibrant flavor or fragrance.
- Lemon: Freshly squeezed lemon juice brightens the entire dish, cutting through the richness of the avocado and roasted peppers with its delightful tang. Don’t discard the zest – it makes an excellent garnish!
- Olive Oil: A good quality extra virgin olive oil not only adds a lovely depth of flavor but also contributes to the sauce’s silky smooth consistency.
- Salt: Essential for seasoning both the pasta water and the sauce itself. Adjust to your personal preference to bring out all the delicious flavors.
- Reserved Pasta Water: This magical liquid is key to achieving the perfect sauce consistency. The starches in the pasta water help emulsify the sauce, making it extra creamy and ensuring it clings beautifully to the noodles.
Step-by-Step Instructions to Create Your Perfect Pasta
Making this creamy avocado bell pepper pasta is incredibly straightforward. Follow these simple steps, and you’ll have a restaurant-quality meal ready in no time!
Step 1: Cook the Pasta
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil. Add your fettuccine and cook until it reaches the perfect al dente stage, following the package directions. Al dente pasta should be firm to the bite, not mushy. Once cooked, drain the pasta, but remember to reserve ½ cup of the starchy pasta water before discarding the rest. This reserved water is crucial for achieving the ideal sauce consistency!
Tip: For perfectly seasoned pasta, add about 1 tablespoon of salt per 3 to 4 quarts of water. This infuses flavor directly into the pasta as it cooks.
Step 2: Prepare the Creamy Sauce
While your pasta is cooking, gather all your sauce ingredients. In a high-speed blender or food processor, combine the peeled and pitted ripe avocado, drained roasted red peppers, fresh garlic clove, fresh basil leaves (loosely packed), freshly squeezed lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and about half of your reserved pasta water. Begin with less pasta water, as you can always add more later.
Step 3: Blend Until Creamy
Secure the lid and blend the ingredients until the mixture is completely smooth, thick, and wonderfully creamy. There should be no visible chunks of avocado or bell pepper. The sauce should have a rich, consistent texture. If you prefer a thinner consistency, gradually add more of the reserved pasta water, a tablespoon at a time, until it reaches your desired pourable texture. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning with additional salt if needed. A pinch of black pepper can also enhance the flavors.
Step 4: Combine and Serve
Pour the freshly blended avocado bell pepper sauce directly over your hot, drained fettuccine in the large pot. Toss everything together gently until every strand of pasta is beautifully coated with the creamy sauce. Give it another quick taste and add a little more salt if you think it needs it. Serve warm, garnished with a sprinkle of fresh lemon zest and additional fresh basil leaves for an extra touch of aroma and visual appeal. Enjoy your quick, healthy, and incredibly flavorful meal!
Garnish your finished avocado bell pepper pasta with fresh lemon zest and more fresh basil for an extra burst of flavor and a beautiful presentation. This dish is best enjoyed warm, right after preparation, to fully appreciate its creamy texture and fresh taste.
Recommended Equipment
You don’t need a lot of fancy kitchen gadgets to whip up this delicious pasta. Just a few basic tools will ensure a smooth and efficient cooking process:
- Large Pot: Essential for boiling the pasta correctly, ensuring the noodles have enough space to cook evenly without sticking together.
- Colander: For safely and efficiently draining the cooked pasta while reserving that precious pasta water.
- Blender or Food Processor: This is where the magic happens! A good blender or food processor is key to achieving the smooth, creamy consistency of our signature avocado bell pepper sauce.
Storage Tips for Leftovers
While this avocado bell pepper pasta is truly best enjoyed fresh, you might have some delicious leftovers. Here’s how to store them:
Refrigerate: Transfer any leftover pasta to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. It’s important to note that the beautiful green color of the sauce will likely darken due to the avocados oxidizing. This is a natural process and does not compromise the flavor or safety of the dish, though the aesthetic may change slightly.
Freezing is not recommended: Due to the high avocado content, freezing this sauce or the finished pasta can alter its creamy texture significantly, often resulting in a watery or grainy consistency upon thawing. For the best experience, we recommend enjoying this dish fresh or within a few days from the refrigerator.
Smart Substitutions & Variations
This avocado bell pepper pasta recipe is quite flexible, allowing for various substitutions to suit your preferences or what you have on hand. Here are some ideas:
- Fettuccine: The thick, flat strands of fettuccine are perfect for clinging to this rich sauce. However, other pasta cuts with a lot of surface area will work equally well. Consider using spaghetti, linguine, rotini, penne, or even shell-shaped pasta to catch every bit of that delicious sauce. For a healthier twist, opt for whole wheat pasta or a plant-based alternative like chickpea or lentil pasta.
- Lemon: Fresh lemon juice is key to the bright, zesty flavor. If lemons aren’t available, fresh lime juice can be an excellent substitute, offering a similar vibrant tang. However, we strongly advise against using bottled lemon or lime juice for this recipe, as their flavor is often less fresh and can contain additives that don’t complement the delicate notes of this sauce.
- Red Bell Pepper: Red bell peppers are chosen for their superior sweetness, which balances beautifully with the other ingredients. If red bell peppers are unavailable, yellow or orange bell peppers can be substituted. They will still provide a lovely flavor and color, though they might be slightly less sweet than their red counterparts. We don’t recommend green bell peppers, as their bitterness would clash with the desired flavor profile.
- Basil: While fresh basil is highly recommended, if you’re in a pinch, a small amount of fresh parsley or even cilantro could offer a different, but still pleasant, herbal note.
- Garlic: If fresh garlic isn’t an option, use a quarter teaspoon of garlic powder for a milder, underlying garlic flavor.
- Spice: For those who enjoy a little heat, a pinch of red pepper flakes blended into the sauce or sprinkled on top before serving will add a welcome kick.
How to Pick the Perfect Ripe Avocado
The success of your creamy avocado bell pepper pasta largely depends on using perfectly ripe avocados. An underripe avocado will be hard and flavorless, while an overripe one can be stringy and brown. Here’s how to choose the best one:
- Color: Look for avocados that have a darker green skin, often with a slightly purplish-black hue. Bright green avocados are usually not yet ripe.
- Feel: Gently squeeze the avocado in the palm of your hand. A ripe avocado will yield to slight pressure but won’t feel mushy. If it’s rock hard, it needs more time. If it feels very soft or squishy, it’s likely overripe.
- Stem Test: Flick off the small stem at the top. If it comes off easily and reveals a bright green color underneath, the avocado is perfectly ripe. If it’s hard to remove or reveals a brown color, it’s either not ripe enough or overripe, respectively.
If your avocados aren’t quite ripe, you can speed up the process by placing them in a paper bag with a banana or apple at room temperature. The ethylene gas released by these fruits will help ripen the avocado faster.
Making it Whole Food Plant-Based (WFPB)
For our dedicated WFPB community and those avoiding added oils, this recipe is incredibly easy to adapt without sacrificing flavor or texture:
- Skip the Oil: Simply omit the added olive oil from the sauce ingredients. The avocado itself provides plenty of healthy fats and creaminess, so the oil isn’t essential for the sauce’s consistency or richness. You might need to add a touch more reserved pasta water to achieve your desired blend consistency.
- Choose Whole Grains or Legume Pasta: Instead of traditional refined pasta, opt for a whole wheat pasta, or a legume-based pasta made from chickpeas, red lentils, or black beans. These alternatives offer more fiber and protein, aligning perfectly with WFPB principles.
- Ensure All Ingredients are Unprocessed: Double-check your roasted red peppers to ensure they are packed in water, not oil, or simply roast your own fresh bell peppers at home without any added oil.
These simple modifications ensure that you can enjoy a delicious, creamy, and satisfying pasta dish that fully adheres to a whole food plant-based lifestyle.
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Avocado Bell Pepper Pasta
Equipment
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Large pot
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Colander
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Blender
Ingredients
- 12 ounces fettuccine or spaghetti
- 2 medium ripe avocados pitted and peeled
- 1 (12 ounce) jar roasted red peppers drained
- 1 clove garlic fresh is best
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves loosely packed
- ¼ cup lemon juice about one medium lemon, freshly squeezed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup reserved pasta water from cooking fettuccine
Instructions
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Cook fettuccine until al dente, according to package directions. Add salt to the water, to taste. Once cooked, drain and reserve ½ cup of the pasta water.
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Add the avocado, roasted red peppers, garlic, basil, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and half of the reserved pasta water to a blender or food processor. Blend until creamy.
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If needed, add more of the reserved pasta water to create a thinner consistency. Taste and add more salt if needed.
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Combine the sauce with the cooked fettuccine and serve. Garnish with lemon zest and more fresh basil (optional). Serve warm.
Video
Notes
To store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Please note that the sauce’s color may darken slightly due to avocado oxidation, but this does not affect its taste. Freezing is generally not recommended as it can compromise the sauce’s creamy texture.
Recipe adapted from Oh She Glows.
Nutrition
