Avocado Pasta Salad is a rich, creamy and totally delicious pasta salad loaded with fresh juicy tomatoes, crisp bacon and creamy avocados. This pasta salad uses avocados in place of mayonnaise for a dressing that is rich and creamy yet loaded with the benefits of avocado!

Health Benefits of Avocado:

  1. Heart Healthy: Avocados help increase levels of heart-protective HDL (good cholesterol) and decrease levels of oxidized LDL (bad cholesterol), a type of cholesterol that’s significantly associated with atherosclerosis (accumulation of plaque along artery walls)
  2. Full of Essential Nutrients: Avocados are rich in many nutrients- fiber, healthy fats, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin B6, potassium, magnesium, and folate. Enjoying them regularly could help improve overall diet quality.
  3. Improves Digestive Health: Avocados are high in fiber, providing about 14 grams in each avocado- As we know getting enough fiber in your diet is essential for the health of the digestive system because it helps promote the growth of healthy bacteria. Evidence suggests that consuming avocados may benefit the health of the gut by improving bacterial diversity and reducing fecal bile acid concentration.
  4. Lowers Inflammation: Avocados are an excellent source of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds like vitamin C, vitamin E, and the carotenoid lutein.
  5. Weight-loss friendly: Some studies suggest that avocados may help improve satiety, enhance weight loss, and reduce belly fat.
  6. Helpful during pregnancy and breastfeeding: During pregnancy & lactation, your need for many nutrients significantly increases. Enjoying avocados is a smart way to get enough of certain vitamins and minerals like folate, potassium, vitamin C, and vitamin B6.
  7. Easy to use: Avocados can be incorporated into both sweet and savory recipes like smoothies, desserts, soups, salads, and burritos. They can also be enjoyed on their own with a sprinkle of salt and pepper.

Lets take a look at the recipe!

Ingredients:-

  • 2 cups Spinach
  • 1 cup pasta of choice (preferably gluten-free; avoid maida containing pasta)
  • 1.5 medium Avocados
  • 2 tablespoon lemon juice
  • ½ garlic clove, sliced
  • ½ cup Peas
  • ½ cup Corn
  • 1 cup Baby tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon rock salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

How to make:
For the Creamy Avocado Dressing-

  1. In a Food Processor or Blender, combine ½ Spinach + 1 avocado (deseeded) + lemon juice + garlic + salt + black pepper.
  2. Pulse until blended and then add remaining spinach and blend until creamy and smooth.

For the Avocado Salad-

  1. Cook Pasta in water with a pinch of salt and boil for 10 minutes
  2. Just before the pasta is almost cooked, add corn and peas and cook until the veggies are crisp and tender
  3. Rinse under cold running water to cool the pasta
  4. Drain well and transfer to a large mixing bowl
  5. Add the avocado dressing, tomatoes and 1/2 sliced avocado to this pasta bowl
  6. Toss everything together until evenly coated.
  7. Season to taste with more salt and black pepper.
  8. Serve and enjoy guilt-free!

Note: This pasta salad tastes best fresh but leftovers are still good the next day and make for a perfect work or school lunch!