Green Goddess Pasta Sauce (Printable)
Creamy avocado-herb sauce tossed with pasta for a fresh, vibrant vegetarian dish.
# What You Need:
→ Fresh Herbs
01 - 1 cup fresh basil leaves
02 - 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
03 - 1/4 cup fresh chives, snipped
04 - 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon leaves (optional)
→ Sauce Base
05 - 1 ripe avocado, pitted and peeled
06 - 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
07 - 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
08 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)
09 - 1 garlic clove, peeled
10 - 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
→ Pasta
11 - 12 oz dried pasta (spaghetti, penne, or gluten-free variety)
→ Seasoning
12 - Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
13 - 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes (optional)
# How-To Steps:
01 - Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Before draining, reserve 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta water. Drain the pasta through a colander and set aside.
02 - While the pasta cooks, add the basil, parsley, chives, tarragon (if using), avocado, Greek yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and Parmesan cheese to a food processor or blender. Process on high until completely smooth and uniformly bright green.
03 - Taste the blended sauce and season with kosher salt, black pepper, and chili flakes as desired. If the sauce is too thick, stream in 1 to 2 tablespoons of the reserved pasta water while blending until it reaches a pourable, creamy consistency.
04 - Transfer the drained pasta to a large mixing bowl. Pour the green goddess sauce over the hot pasta and toss vigorously until every strand or piece is evenly coated. Add additional pasta water as needed to achieve a silky, glossy finish. Serve immediately, garnished with extra fresh herbs and an additional sprinkle of Parmesan if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The avocado makes it lusciously creamy without a single drop of heavy cream.
- It comes together in the time it takes your pasta to cook, which means less than half an hour from stove to plate.
- You probably already have most of these ingredients sitting in your kitchen right now.
02 -
- The sauce will darken if it sits too long, so serve it as soon as it is tossed with the pasta for the brightest color.
- Saving that pasta water is not optional. The starch in it is what transforms the sauce from a thick paste into something that clings to every bite beautifully.
03 -
- Use an avocado that is perfectly ripe with no brown spots, because any off flavors will be amplified in a raw sauce like this.
- Blend the herbs and liquid ingredients first before adding the avocado. This prevents overprocessing the avocado into something gummy and keeps the texture light.