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Avocado Pasta Salad

Avocado pasta salad with creamy avocado dressing coats penne or rotini for a fresh, green, tangy pasta salad. Tossed with cherry tomatoes, corn, and red onion, then chilled for brighter flavor and better texture.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pasta base
  • 1 lb penne or rotini pasta
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 cup corn kernels
  • 0.5 cup red onion, diced
  • 0.25 cup cilantro, chopped
Creamy avocado dressing
  • 2 avocados
  • 0.25 cup lime juice
  • 0.25 cup olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • salt and pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Cook and cool the pasta
  1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the penne or rotini according to package directions, until tender but not mushy. Drain and rinse thoroughly with cold water to stop the cooking and keep the pasta firm.
Make the creamy avocado dressing
  1. In a blender, combine avocados, lime juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Blend until completely smooth and creamy, scraping down as needed so no avocado bits remain.
Assemble the pasta salad
  1. Add the cooked pasta, cherry tomatoes, corn, and red onion to a large bowl. Toss to distribute the vegetables evenly.
Coat and chill
  1. Pour in the avocado dressing and toss until the pasta and vegetables are coated throughout. Keep tossing until the salad looks uniformly green and creamy.
  2. Refrigerate the pasta salad for up to 1 hour, covered, to firm up the texture. Note the avocado may brown if stored longer than 1 hour.
Serve
  1. Top the chilled pasta salad with fresh cilantro right before serving. Serve cold for the freshest, most vibrant flavor.

Notes

Pro tip: rinse the pasta under cold water until the surface feels cool, so it won’t keep cooking while you make the dressing. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 1 day, but for best color and flavor, eat within 24 hours (avocado browns over time). Freezing is not recommended because the dressing can separate after thawing. For a gluten-free swap, use gluten-free penne or rotini and follow package cook times.