Healthy Avocado Pasta Salad

For a fun twist on a summer classic, give this Healthy Avocado Pasta Salad a try! Soft pasta, sauteed corn and onion, fresh tomatoes, and chopped cilantro are coated in a creamy vegan avocado dressing. The result is a fresh and light summer pasta salad bursting with flavor!

I love a traditional pasta salad but this avocado dressing takes it to a whole new level. The creaminess is unreal plus it’s a tad bit healthier for you too. A win-win situation. Not to mention it takes less than 30 minutes to make and is gluten free, dairy free, and vegan!

For more healthy summer “salads”, check these out. Sugar Snap Pea Salad has fresh sugar snap peas tossed with lemon zest, pistachio nuts, and olive oil followed by a creamy lemon salad dressing. Then this Kale and Quinoa Salad is equally as delicious with fluffy quinoa, quick pickled apple slices, massaged kale, tossed in a creamy homemade salad dressing. Both are perfect options for main meals or as a side dish!

Pasta Salad Ingredients

Pasta – I usually opt for either a high quality wheat pasta or a gluten free blend. My favorite gluten free pasta is the Jovial brown rice or cassava flour pasta.

Olive Oil – Needed to saute the onions and corn kernels plus deepens the flavor.

Red Onion – Adds a nice bite to this healthy pasta salad without overwhelming the dish with onion flavor.

Corn Kernels – The sweet flavor and bite of texture is a fun addition to this easy pasta salad. I used canned corn but you could try using fresh. Leave out entirely if preferred!

Cherry Tomatoes – Nothing beats the fresh bite of cherry tomatoes. Simply rinse then cut in half, no further work needed.

Cilantro – One of my favorite herbs to pair with pasta and tomato dishes. If you’re not a cilantro fan, try swapping it for parsley or dill instead.

Vegan Avocado Dressing Ingredients

Avocado – Make sure they’re soft and ripe for the ultimate creamy vegan avocado dressing.

Olive Oil – Adds moisture and makes the dressing extra smooth.

Cilantro – Pairs well with the avocado for this dressing.

Basil – Another of my favorite herbs, pairs very well with cilantro in the avocado dressing, and adds a ton of fresh + summer-y flavor 🙂

Garlic – Fresh garlic cloves add a nice extra bite to this dressing.

Lemon Juice & Zest – Brings out the bright flavor of this dish – make sure you zest your lemons before juicing to make it easier for yourself! Would also not recommend substituting store-bought, the flavor just isn’t’ the same and since you do need lemon zest, you will have fresh lemons anyways!

How to Make Healthy Avocado Pasta Salad

1. Cook pasta according to package instructions and set aside. I like to coat mine in olive oil and toss when warm so it doesn’t end up sticking together – especially with any type of gluten free pasta.
2. Make your sauce by adding all ingredients to a small food processor or use a hand blender until combined and dressing is smooth. Add sauce to cooked pasta and stir to combine. 
3. To a large sauté pan, add 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, add diced red onion and cook for 3-4 minutes or until onion starts to brown. 
4. Add drained & rinsed corn kernels to pan and cook for an additional 5-8 minutes, until corn starts to brown.
5. Add sautéed onion/corn to the bowl of cooked pasta, along with cherry tomatoes and chopped fresh cilantro. Serve immediately or chill and eat later. Can also be reheated and served warm.

How to Tell If An Avocado is Ripe

There’s nothing more disappointing (and frustrating) than getting home only to discover you bought unripe avocados. It can derail an entire meal and leave you sad with the avocado you were craving/needing. That is, if you love avocado as much as I do 🙂

For this avocado dressing, you definitely need them to be ripe. Follow the tips below to never again fall victim to unripe avocados.

• Look at the color, it should be a dark olive green or nearly black. The darker they are, the more ripe.
• Apply gentle pressure to test the firmness of it. Ripe avocados will yield to gentle pressure while unripe will not. If the avocado indents a lot (or pushes in) with pressure, it might be too ripe. Just something to keep in mind!
• Pull the little brown stem off the top and look at the avocado. If it’s green and the stem comes off easily, the avocado is probably perfect! If the avocado is dark brown under the stem, it might be too ripe. And if the stem won’t budge or is hard to get off, the avocado is probably not ripe enough.

How to Ripen Avocados Quickly

If you’re stuck in the unfortunate situation of there being zero ripe avocados at the store, I’ve got you covered. Buy the ripest avocado you can find then place it in a paper bag with either an apple or banana. Both produce ethane gas which will ripen the avocado as the gas gets trapped in the paper bag. This method usually takes 1-3 days depending on the base ripeness of the avocado.

Once an avocado is ripe, I will immediately move it to the fridge, where it will stay good for another 4-5 days so I can use it at a later point if needed!

If you’re looking for another summer pasta dish, check out this Spicy Tomato Shrimp Pasta or this Lemon Basil Pasta with Seared Scallops. Both are fresh and light while still being absolutely delicious. The perfect weeknight meal or weekend grill side!

And if you try this recipe, please let me know by leaving a comment and rating in the boxes below! I always love to hear from you and it helps other people find this recipe when they search online for the BEST Healthy Avocado Pasta Salad 🙂

Healthy Avocado Pasta Salad

Author Casey Colodny

Prep: 15 minutes minutes

Cook: 10 minutes minutes

Total: 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 people

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Soft pasta, sauteed corn and onion, fresh tomatoes, and chopped cilantro are coated in a creamy vegan avocado dressing. The result is a fresh and light summer pasta salad bursting with flavor!

Ingredients

Pasta Salad:

• 8 oz pasta
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 ea small red onion diced
• 1 can whole kernel corn drained & rinsed
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes cut in half lengthwise
• ½ bunch cilantro chopped

Avocado Dressing:

• 1 ea ripe avocado
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• ¼ cup fresh basil
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro
• 1 clove garlic peeled
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 tsp salt
• black pepper to taste

Instructions

• Cook pasta according to package instructions.
• While pasta is cooking, make your sauce by adding all ingredients to a small food processor or use a hand blender until combined and dressing is smooth. When pasta has finished cooking, drain, add your sauce, and stir to combine.
  
• To a large sauté pan, add 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, add diced red onion and cook for 3-4 minutes or until onion starts to brown.
• Add drained & rinsed corn kernels to pan and cook for an additional 5-8 minutes, until corn starts to brown.
  
• Add sautéed onion/corn to a bowl of cooked pasta, along with cherry tomatoes and chopped fresh cilantro. Serve immediately or chill and eat later. Can also be reheated and served warm.
  

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