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Creamy Avocado Pasta with Roasted Veggies | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen

Creamy Avocado Pasta with Roasted Veggies

Teresa Ambra
Wonderful meatless main dish recipe with lots of roasted veggies and gluten free pasta in a creamy avocado-basil sauce. Garnish with pine nuts and parmesan cheese. This recipe is easily vegan by using eggless noodles, and omitting the parmesan cheese. If you want a delicious, healthy, clean-eating meal, this gluten free recipe is marvelous!
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Course Pasta/Meatless Main Dish
Cuisine Italian
Servings 10
Calories 462 kcal

Equipment

  • 2 large cookie sheets or baking dishes to roast the vegetables
  • 1 Dutch oven or stock pot
  • 1 blender or food processor
  • 1 sharp knife to cut vegetables
  • 1 wooden spoon
  • 1 colander to drain pasta
  • measuring cups
  • measuring spoons

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pint grape tomatoes halved
  • 1 cup red onion cut in strips
  • 1 leek green top removed, washed thoroughly and sliced
  • 1 red bell pepper sliced in thin strips
  • 1 orange or green bell pepper sliced in thin strips
  • 1 yellow bell pepper sliced in thin strips
  • 1 head broccoli florets cut in pieces
  • 4 oz. can sliced mushrooms or 8-oz. fresh sliced mushrooms
  • 1/3 to 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1 tbsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. pepper
  • 16 oz. gluten free penne pasta
  • 1/2 to 1 cup reserved water from cooking noodles I used ½ cup
  • 4 ripe avocados pit and skin removed
  • 4 cloves garlic peeled, I used half with the roasted veggies and the rest for the sauce
  • 1/2 tsp. sea salt or kosher salt
  • 1 lemon juice only
  • 1-2 tbsp. fresh basil chopped
  • 3 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/3 cup pine nuts
  • 1/4 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
  • salt and cracked black pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 300 ºF.
  • Wash and halve the tomatoes.
  • Place on a greased baking sheet.
  • Add red onion, peppers, leeks, and broccoli florets (if you have fresh mushrooms add them also).
  • Pour 1/3 to ½ cup olive oil in cup measure.
  • Brush tops of vegetables with olive oil until they glisten.
  • Sprinkle with 1 tbsp. salt and 1 tsp. pepper. (Use more if desired).
  • Bake for 30 minutes in the oven.
  • Meanwhile, fill a large pot with water.
  • Bring to a rapid boil.
  • Add the dry gluten free pasta to boiling water and cook at a rapid boil according to package directions for al dente; do NOT overcook the pasta.
  • This is really important. If you cook the noodles to complete doneness they will shred and not hold their texture when you stir everything together.
  • Drain; reserve at least one cup of the pasta water.
  • While the pasta is boiling, add 3 tbsp. olive oil, avocados, 2 cloves garlic, ½ tsp. salt, fresh chopped basil or 1 heaping tablespoon dried basil, water, and lemon juice to a food processor or blender.
  • Pulse until the ingredients are smooth and creamy.
  • You may have to stir several times to get all the ingredients creamed well.
  • Strain the pasta, and place in a large serving bowl. (Reserve 1 cup pasta water).
  • Pour the avocado sauce over the pasta.
  • Add reserved pasta water (I used ½ cup).
  • Gently stir the roasted vegetables into the other ingredients in serving bowl or serve them over top of pasta/sauce ladled on plates.
  • Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and pine nuts.
  • Add some salt and black pepper to taste.

Notes

NOTE: This dish works best with substantial pastas like linguine and fettuccini, and tubular pastas like rotini and penne.
 
NOTE: If you use fresh basil, I highly recommend you use no more than 2 tablespoons or it will overpower the flavors in the sauce and veggies. This is one of those few recipes that I actually prefer dried basil over fresh.
 
NOTE: Reserve at least one cup of the pasta cooking liquid for this recipe!
 
NOTE: This recipe makes a lot. You can easily halve the recipe.
 
NOTE: I chose to mix the avocado mixture and noodles and then layer the roasted veggies, pine nuts and parmesan cheese on top of individual servings.
 
UPDATE - OCTOBER 2016: Ronzoni now makes a gluten free pasta with brown rice flour, white rice flour, corn flour and quinoa which is quite good. You can boil it for the regular amount of cooking time and the pasta does not break apart.
 
© Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen

Nutrition

Calories: 462kcalCarbohydrates: 52gProtein: 9gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 802mgPotassium: 695mgFiber: 9gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 1540IUVitamin C: 76mgCalcium: 69mgIron: 2mg
Keyword avocados, broccoli, gluten free, main dish, mushrooms, parmesan cheese, tomatoes
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