Easy Avocado Pasta with Bacon & Basil

This Avocado Pasta with Basil and Bacon is a simple recipe with big flavor. The combination of the avocado, bacon, and fresh basil will have you coming back for more and more!

Photo byThriving Home

Why We Love This Recipe

• It comes together quickly and you may even have the ingredients on hand.
• While I prefer to serve it warm, this avocado pasta works as a chilled salad as well.
• Such a great summer pasta to serve!

What Ingredients are in Avocado Pasta?

One of the reasons this recipe has earned its way into our recipe index is because it is so. dang. easy. Here is what you’ll need:

Ingredient Notes:

• Pasta – I used Farfalle (bow tie) pasta but it would also work great with penne, rigatoni, or rotini. Whole wheat pasta would work as well.
• Bacon – I prefer to cook bacon in the oven. It’s hands off and comes out perfect every time.
• Basil – Fresh basil is a must.
• Garlic – You can put freshly minced garlic but I recommend using a microplane grater and grating it in.
• Pecorino Romano Shredded Cheese – You can find this at most grocery stores. You can also sub shredded Parmesan cheese.

Photo byThriving Home

Exact Ingredients

• 12 ounces of farfalle (bowtie) pasta
• 2 medium avocados, diced
• 6 slices of bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled (try baking it using this oven method)
• 2/3 cup chopped fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves of garlic, grated or minced finely
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 cup shredded Pecorino Romano cheese (sub: shredded Parmesan)

How to Make Avocado Pasta

After your pasta is cooked and drained, toss it into the large bowl with all of the ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste. That’s it! Seriously!

Photo byThriving Home

Pasta Pro Tips

Here are some general tips in order to make pasta like a pro!

1. Salt the water. This adds a lot of flavor to the pasta AND helps it come to a boil faster.
2. Don’t overcook it! I almost always err on the shorter cooking side when given a range.
3. Use a big pot and plenty of water. Fill your pot with at least 2 quarts for each 1/2 pound of pasta. This will help prevent your pasta from sticking together during cooking.
4. Stir right away and every couple of minutes. Pasta will want to start clumping together if you don’t give it a stir.
5. Don’t rinse your pasta after it’s been drained. While it may seem logical, don’t run cold water over your hot pasta. You’ll risk losing the flavorful starches that will help sauces cling to it later.

Recipe FAQs

How long do leftovers last?

Can I make this gluten-free?

Photo byThriving Home

More Avocado Recipes

You can freeze any leftover avocado or use it in any of these recipes.

Avocado Salsa

Blueberry Avocado Muffins

Green Machine Smoothie

Avocado Aioli