Avocado Cilantro Lime Pasta Sauce
A bright, silky no-cook sauce made in the blender while the pasta boils. Ripe avocado gives it a creamy body without dairy, and cilantro, lime and garlic keep it fresh and zesty. Loosened with starchy pasta water, it coats every strand.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 35 min
- Makes
- About 1¾ cups (420 ml) sauce, enough for 12 oz (340 g) pasta, serving 4
Steps
Before you start
- Use avocados that yield slightly to gentle pressure and have no brown, stringy flesh. Underripe avocado makes a grainy, bitter sauce.
- Start the water for the pasta first; you will make the sauce while it comes to a boil and the pasta cooks.
- Juice and zest the limes before you juice them: zest first, then juice. You need 1 teaspoon zest and 4 tablespoons (60 ml) juice, about 2 to 3 limes.
- Make the sauce right before serving. Avocado browns and dulls over time, so toss it with hot pasta as soon as the pasta is drained.
Start the pasta water
- Fill a large pot with 4 quarts (3.8 L) water and set it over high heat.
- Cover to speed boiling.
- Once at a full rolling boil, stir in 2 tablespoons (20 g) kosher salt.
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Ready when: Water is at a full rolling boil with large, constant bubbles.
Tip: Salt the water generously; the pasta absorbs it and the sauce is mild, so under-salted water gives flat results.
Prep the flavorings
- While the water heats, zest the limes with a fine grater to get 1 teaspoon, then juice them to get 4 tablespoons (60 ml).
- Pick the cilantro leaves and tender stems from the thick lower stems.
- Peel the garlic.
- If using the jalapeño, remove the stem and seeds and roughly chop.
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Ready when: You have 1 teaspoon zest, 60 ml juice and 1 packed cup cilantro.
Tip: Leave the jalapeño seeds in only if you want a spicy sauce.
Cook the pasta
- Add the spaghetti to the boiling water and stir for the first 30 seconds so it does not stick.
- Cook at a steady boil, stirring occasionally, for 1 minute less than the package directions, usually 8 to 10 minutes total.
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Ready when: Pasta is tender but still has a slight firm bite in the center when you taste a strand.
Tip: Set a timer; you will make the sauce during these minutes.
Halve and scoop avocados
- Cut the avocados in half around the pit, twist apart and remove the pit.
- Scoop the flesh into the blender jar, about 1½ cups (300 g).
- Discard any brown spots.
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Ready when: Flesh is bright green and creamy, with no brown or stringy patches.
Blend the sauce
- Add the cilantro, lime juice, lime zest, garlic, olive oil, jalapeño (if using), 2 tablespoons (30 ml) cold water, 1½ teaspoons salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper to the avocado.
- Blend on high for 45 to 60 seconds, stopping once to scrape down the sides, until smooth.
- The sauce will be thick, like a loose dip.
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Ready when: Sauce is completely smooth, pale green with tiny flecks of herb, and no garlic chunks remain.
Tip: Taste on a spoon and add a pinch more salt or lime juice if it tastes flat. Do not blend hot liquid; thin the sauce with pasta water in the bowl instead.
Reserve pasta water
- Just before the pasta is done, scoop out 1 cup (240 ml) of the hot cooking water with a heatproof measuring cup.
- Drain the pasta in a colander, but do not rinse it.
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Ready when: Pasta is drained and still steaming; the reserved water looks cloudy.
Tip: Reserve the water before draining. It is easy to forget once the pot is empty.
Toss with the sauce
- Scrape all the sauce into a large serving bowl.
- Add the hot, drained pasta and ½ cup (120 ml) of the reserved pasta water.
- Toss with tongs for 1 minute, adding more pasta water 2 tablespoons at a time (up to ½ cup more) until the sauce turns glossy and clings to the strands.
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Ready when: Sauce coats the pasta in a creamy, even layer and does not pool thickly at the bottom of the bowl.
Tip: Add water gradually. Too much at once makes the sauce thin and watery.
Season and serve
- Taste and adjust with a pinch of salt or a squeeze of lime if needed.
- Divide among 4 warm bowls and top with toasted pepitas and crumbled cotija, if using.
- Serve immediately.
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Ready when: Pasta is bright green, creamy and steaming.
Tip: Serve right away; the sauce is best in the first 15 minutes before it begins to darken.
Good to know
Tips
- Add the oil last or while blending for the smoothest, creamiest texture.
- Hot pasta water is the secret: its starch makes the sauce cling and its heat gently warms the avocado without cooking it.
- To slow browning if serving later, keep a squeeze of extra lime juice ready and toss it in just before serving.
- Add a handful of cherry tomatoes, grilled shrimp or shredded rotisserie chicken to turn this into a heartier meal.
Make ahead
The sauce alone can be blended up to 4 hours ahead. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface so no air touches it, and refrigerate. Stir well and thin with hot pasta water when tossing.
Storage & reheating
Best eaten fresh. Refrigerate leftover pasta in an airtight container for up to 1 day; the color will darken slightly but it stays safe and tasty. Reheat gently in a skillet over low heat with 1 to 2 tablespoons of water, or eat cold as a pasta salad. Plain sauce keeps in the fridge with plastic pressed on the surface for up to 2 days, or freezes in an airtight container for up to 2 months; thaw in the fridge overnight and stir well. Do not leave at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
Substitutions
- fresh cilantro → fresh flat-leaf parsley or basil. Use the same amount. The flavor will be less citrusy and more herbal.
- fresh lime juice → fresh lemon juice. Use the same amount for a slightly softer tang.
- cotija cheese → feta or grated Parmesan. Feta is similarly salty and crumbly; Parmesan gives a nuttier finish.
- spaghetti or linguine → gluten-free spaghetti or rice noodles. Cook according to package directions and reserve the water as in the recipe.