Avocado Pasta With Chicken
Avocado Pasta With Chicken is a 30-minute dinner featuring juicy spiced chicken, a creamy no-cook avocado-basil sauce, and easy pasta swaps.
Servings: 4 Servings
Calories: 621kcal
Ingredients
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt (for the chicken)
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper (for the chicken)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 12 oz penne pasta or other pasta(See Notes 1)
- 2 avocados ripe
- 2 tablespoons garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice plus zest if you like a tangy kick
- ¼ cup fresh basil (or parsley)
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional/adjust to taste)
- ½ teaspoon salt (for the sauce)
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper (for the sauce)
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes halved(optional)
Instructions
- Season the chicken with garlic powder, paprika, salt, and ground black pepper.
- Place a pan over medium heat, add olive oil, and cook the chicken for 6 minutes on each side, or until it's thoroughly cooked.
- Then slice them into thin strips, and set aside.
- Next, cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Reserve a cup of pasta water, drain, and set aside.
- Meanwhile, scoop out the avocado flesh.
- To a blender jar, add avocado flesh, garlic, lemon juice, basil, crushed red pepper, salt, and ground black pepper.
- Blend until smooth and creamy(if the texture feels too thick, add a little reserved pasta water).
- To a large mixing bowl, add hot pasta, chicken strips, cherry tomatoes, and the avocado sauce.
- Toss them together. And Enjoy!!
Notes
- Use penne, rigatoni, bow tie, whole-grain, or chickpea pasta; chicken thighs, rotisserie chicken, tofu, tempeh, chickpeas, or beans also work as easy substitutions.
- Choose ripe but not mushy avocados for the smoothest sauce, and blend with a splash of reserved pasta water if the sauce feels too thick.
- Adjust the heat by reducing or skipping the crushed red pepper for a mild version, or add extra red pepper flakes, cayenne, or fresh jalapeños for more spice.
- This pasta tastes best fresh, but leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours in an airtight container with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface to slow browning.
- Serve leftovers cold as an avocado chicken pasta salad; avoid reheating or freezing, as the avocado sauce can turn bitter, lose color, and become less creamy.
Nutrition
Calories: 621kcal | Carbohydrates: 76g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 665mg | Potassium: 990mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 622IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 2mg
