A creamy gluten free vegan pasta. The avocados make it as rich as any dairy-filled sauce, and the basil and lemon make it oh so tasty. Simply boil your favorite gluten-free noodles and put the sauce ingredients in your blender. Fast, fresh and filling! This simple ingredients in this Basil Lemon & Avocado Pasta are free of: gluten, dairy, egg, soy, peanuts and tree nuts; making this top-8-free too!
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Why My Family Loves This Gluten Free Vegan Pasta
I have a mom-hack/ top tip for you! My son loves this Basil Lemon & Avocado Pasta partly because of pure marketing genius. Yes, marketing. You see, I call it the “Hulk” pasta. Since it is green, my son totally buys it! Funny what changing a few words does. Try it!
This creamy pasta, and fun color make it very kid friendly! Most kids are used to pasta that uses tomato sauce or tomato paste, so this green pasta is a pleasant and fun surprise.
This is one of my favorite vegan dinners to make when my husband is at work; because it takes less time to make than other dishes since I don’t have extra hands keeping the kids out of my hair while I cook.
Add to the fact that the creamy sauce for this Lemon Basil & Avocado pasta is made in the blender, and the pasta only takes ten minutes to boil I can have this on the table in no time flat–which has been so needed this busy summer. And, to help you go even faster, learn how to get that lemon zest in the recipe, by checking out Evolving Table’s tips. Seriously–is it just me, or do the summer days fly by and all of the sudden it’s 5 pm??
Enjoy this pasta, whether you call it Hulk pasta or Basil, Lemon & Avocado Creamy Pasta. I hope it helps you enjoy an easy, light meal this summer.
What To Pair with This Pasta Dinner?
Since we use this pasta as the entrée, for a side dish I pair it with fresh corn on the cob and cherry tomatoes. It’s so veggie friendly and just light. I never walk away from this meal feeling heavy or gross. Really any fruit or vegetable that is in season would be a great way to make it more filling while getting in more veggies and fruit.
This vegan pasta does not have nutritional yeast!
Many vegan dishes use nutritional yeast as a vegan cheese substitute. I actually like nutritional yeast, but many people do not, or they’re trying to be yeast free. This dish is fabulous on its own, and doesn’t need any kind of cheese substitute.
What Gluten Free Pasta Should I Use?
Thankfully there are so many types of gluten-free pastas nowadays. The pasta shape doesn’t matter. You can serve this with any type of gluten-free pasta, but I prefer rotini, since the sauce sticks in all those crevices and you can really get more sauce with each bite, which I’m all about! Just follow each of the package directions to reach al dente. Here are some popular gluten free pastas that would work well with this recipe:
- Homemade pasta
- Rice flour pasta
- Rice and corn pasta
- Buckwheat pasta
- Red lentil pasta
- Quinoa pasta
- Chickpea pasta
- (You can use regular wheat pasta if you don’t need it to be gluten-free, just vegan)
My favorites are the rice flour, or rice and corn pasta varieties.
What Ingredients are Needed for this Gluten Free Vegan Pasta Recipe:
You will need the following ingredients to make this recipe:
- Gluten free cooked pasta
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Avocados
- Fresh basil
- Garlic
- Lemon juice
- Lemon zest
- Olive oil
This Gluten Free Vegan Pasta is Also Nut Free!
Many traditional vegan recipes use coconut cream, coconut milk, almond milk or cashew crew and this recipe doesn’t use peanuts or tree nuts at all.
How To Store Leftovers
If there is any left (good luck!) then store it in an airtight container. Some may eat it right out of the fridge like a cold pasta salad, but I prefer to warm it a bit before eating it again. It should stay well for 2-3 days in the fridge.
Other gluten and dairy free pasta dishes to try:
My son has food allergies to wheat, dairy and egg, so all of my pasta recipes are free of those. He can have meat, so we do sometimes eat meat. However, all of my baking is gluten free vegan. Here are some of our other favorite gluten free dairy free pasta recipes:
- Gluten and Dairy Free Spinach & Sausage Pasta
- Gluten and Dairy Free Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta
- Gluten Free Vegan Red Pepper Pasta
- Gluten, Dairy & Egg Free BLT Pasta Salad
- Gluten and Dairy Free Asian Spinach Pasta Salad
- 30 Minute Sausage & Peppers Pasta (Gluten & Dairy Free)
- Allergy-friendly Ragu
- Chicken Enchilada Pasta (Gluten & Dairy Free)
- Slow Cooker Bolognese (Gluten & Dairy Free and Freezer Meal Friendly!)
Basil, Lemon & Avocado Creamy Pasta (Gluten, Dairy, Egg, Soy, Peanut, Tree nut Free; Top 8 Free, Vegan)
A creamy, yet delicately flavored pasta. The avocados make it as rich as any dairy-filled sauce, and the basil and lemon make it oh so tasty. Simply boil your favorite gluten-free noodles and put the sauce ingredients in your blender. Fast, fresh and filling! This recipe avoids: gluten, dairy, egg, soy, peanuts and tree nuts; and is top-8-free and vegan too!
Ingredients
- 16 ounces gluten-free rotini
- 1 Tablespoon of salt
- 2 ripe avocados, halved, seeded and flesh scooped out
- 2 (3/4 oz) packages of fresh basil leaves (approximately 1 cup loosely packed)
- 4 cloves garlic
- 4 tablespoons lemon juice
- zest of one lemon
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or more, according to taste
- 1/3 cup olive oil
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water, with 1 Tablespoon of salt, to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions for al dente. Drain, and rinse well with cool water to stop the cooking process.
- While the pasta drains, put the avocados, basil, garlic, lemon juice, zest, salt, and olive oil in a high quality blender or food processor. (I use a Blendtec Wildside). Blend until everything is blended and creamy.
- Return the pasta to the pot, and add the sauce. Heat over medium heat just a few minutes until the pasta and sauce are warm enough for serving, because careful to not heat too long and over cook the pasta. Taste and adjust salt as needed. Serve with freshly cracked pepper, and additional fresh basil if desired.
Notes
If you're looking for some gluten and dairy free dinners, check out my cookbook:Â An Allergy Mom's Lifesaving Instant Pot Cookbook.
Also--all of my baking is gluten free vegan, so be sure to look in the index for dessert ideas!
*Our allergies, while severe and that get re-tested yearly, are such that we can go strictly by what's on the label. I do not call companies to see what things are derived from, or call manufacturers to see about potential cross contact. If your allergies require you to do so, please do your own homework. I cannot assure you of any ingredient's safety, only you can do that. I simply share what works for our family.
**If you are going to feed this to someone with food allergies, and you yourself do not have food allergies, I HIGHLY recommend having them check every single brand and ingredient you are using, to ensure they're OK with each part of the recipe. And, to make sure you've talked to them about how to avoid cross contamination in your kitchen.
Recipe adapted from: Damn Delicious' Avocado Pasta
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 5 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 409Total Fat: 27gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 22gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 1702mgCarbohydrates: 38gFiber: 8gSugar: 2gProtein: 7g
DON’T FORGET TO PIN THIS, SO YOU DON’T LOSE IT. BE SURE WHILE YOU’RE THERE TO CHECK OUT MY OTHER DIET SPECIFIC BOARDS.
Hi! I’m Megan, a mom to four kids, two with multiple food allergies & one with EOE. I’m a published cookbook author that constantly tweaks recipes to make them allergy friendly–it’s an addiction. I share every recipe & tip with the hope that they help you as you manage your food allergies & dietary restrictions. You can still be awesome, even with food allergies!
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Eric J Miller
Can the sauce be made in advance?
Megan Lavin
Yes! Just don’t cook the pasta until you’re ready to serve, as gluten-free pasta can get gummy if over cooked
Rachel G. Lawson
Will make again. Cannot even describe the pleasure my taste buds experienced. I used four avocados and spinach. So good.
Megan Lavin
Thanks so much for taking the time to comment. I’m so glad you enjoyed it Rachel!
Emily
Yum!! I finally made this after I saw your video. I served it to my 3 year old next to something he’s had before and expected him to be skeptical. He had eaten his whole serving before I even sat down with mine! So creamy and delicious, perfect for summer. My son has always been dairy free but I am just recently so and this gave me that creamy fix I am missing!! Thank you for another hit! We made it with banza pasta which held up to the thick sauce very well.
Megan Lavin
Yay! I’m so glad your son liked it and that it worked for you too. I appreciate you commenting, thanks!
Jen
I try to cook oil-free but think this recipe looks amazing! Do you think I could sub something for the olive oil, or is it absolutely necessary?
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Hi Jen, you could try broth, but I would recommend oil for best results.
mike
When we made this it was super lemony, overpowering all the other flavors. Is it supposed to be less lemon juice?
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Hi! We love it very lemony, feel free to lessen to your tastes 🙂
Suzanne
Could you serve this cold, like a pasta salad at a picnic? Or does the sauce “break down”?
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Hi Suzanne. I would think so, I typically serve it room temp and it’s fine. I also usually have leftovers, and my son will eat it cold from the fridge. Enjoy!
Suzanne
Great! Thank you! 🙂
Amanda
I love this idea. Avocados as the base for the sauce is so creative.
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Thanks! Yes, avocados are so naturally creamy.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Well I’d totally dig some of this HULK pasta! Yum!
Raia
My kids seriously turn up their noses at avocados. This will be a great way to sneak it’s goodness into their diets! 🙂
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It will be our secret that there’s avocados in it 🙂 Just tell them it’s green from the basil! 😉