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When Monday starts with avocado zucchini carbonara pasta, you know it is going to be a good week.
As you guys know I am a firm believer in pasta…anyday, anytime. Hence, I see Monday as the perfect day for a healthier take on everyone’s favorite Italian pasta dish, carbonara. This pasta is creamy, cheesy, and loaded with avocado, which I am whole heartedly obsessed with…um see this sandwich, this salad, and this dip.
I’ve been dying to tell you guys about this recipe for so long now. Or okay, not so long, more like a couple of weeks, but I am just so excited about this recipe because it’s all of my favorite things.
Carbs. Cheese. Avocado. <–literally my favorites.
WATCH THE HOW-TO VIDEO:
Another favorite? Weekends like the one I just had. Saturday started out pretty dreary, but thank God for my brother, Malachi. He forced me to have fun on Saturday night and forget about all my worries (been having some serious anxiety about things lately). If there’s one person in the world who can crack my shell it’s Kai, and I am so thankful for that. I spent Saturday night mixing drinks and having real conversions (meaning zero work talk) and it could not have been more needed.
Feeling happy to be back working today and ready to tell you guys all about this special carbonara.
OKAY. here’s how this pasta goes down. It’s pretty different from traditional carbonara, but it does have some of the same elements. An egg in the sauce, bacon, parmesan, and pasta.
–> boil up some pasta…I like using bucatini, I love it’s thicker size, but spaghetti is great too.
Important Note: be sure to reserve at least one cup of that pasta cooking water before draining off the pasta completely. The starchy pasta water is essential for making any good carbonara, including this avocado version.
–> make the sauce…unlike traditional carbonara, this sauce is a little more avocado based than egg based, which is why I LOVE this recipe so much. It’s incredibly creamy, but made healthier with all those good for you avocado fats.
–> crisp up some bacon…yes, bacon, every carbonara recipe has to have bacon (or prosciutto).
–> throw it all together…add the pasta, sauce, and some parmesan to the pan with all that bacon, toss it up and DONE.
Really though? My words can’t describe how much I am loving this carbonara recipe. I’ve already made it three times in the last month, and yes, we totally made this recipe into a video that’s coming very soon to Instagram …and then of course will be added to this blog post. When a recipe becomes a video, you know it’s a GOOD recipe. A recipe that I make over and over and over. One that my family loves, and one that I know you guys will love too.
All this said, there is one downside to this pasta.
The thing about pretty much any carbonara (avocado or no avocado), is that it’s best eaten right after making. The sauce is the perfect texture right off the stove, and with all the avocado in this recipe, letting it sit will allow the sauce to brown slightly.
That’s not to say your leftovers will not be great, but just a heads up, the pasta might brown a little. To help prevent this, drizzle a little lemon juice over before storing.
But then let’s be real…
Do you really think there’s going to be leftovers? Every time I have made this, it’s gone within minutes…and everyone finishes their plate. So yeah, probably not a leftover kind of recipe anyway.
Avocado Zucchini Carbonara
Ingredients
- 1 pound bucatini pasta
- 2 ripe, small to medium avocado, halved
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, plus more for serving
- kosher salt and pepper
- 6 slices thick cut bacon, chopped
- 2 small zucchini, cut into ribbons
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme or oregano
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
Instructions
- 1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Just before draining, remove 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta.2. In a blender, combine the avocado, egg, basil, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. With the blender running, stream in about 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water and pulse until smooth and creamy. 3. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and cook the bacon until crisp. Add the pasta, zucchini, thyme, and crushed red pepper flakes, to the skillet. Cook 5 minutes or until warmed though. Add the avocado sauce and parmesan, tossing well to combine. Continue to cook another 3-5 minutes, adding pasta water to thin the sauce as needed. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and stir in a handful of fresh herbs. 4. Divide the pasta among plates and top with parmesan and basil. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Monday night pasta? Yes, let’s to that.
Can this be made ahead? Or at least the sauce?
Hey Evelyn,
Carbonaras are best served warm and fresh from the making, reheating this will risk overcooking the eggs. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
The way you describe the process, the pasta will be cooked al dente and set aside for more than 10 minutes. How do you prevent it from sticking together?
Hey Yana,
You can toss with a little olive oil:) I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
YUM!! Can i sub zucchini noodles for this?
Hey Charolette,
Yes that would work well! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This recipe is so YUMMM! Although I do experience the bitter taste of the avocado sometimes when cooked. How do you prevent? I also used turkey bacon, still amazing! Great sub to keep it even healthier!
HI! Are you using ripe avocados? I am not really sure why they might be tasting bitter. You could try adding a teaspoon of honey to balance it out. Please let me know if you have any other questions. So glad you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
This. was. ridiculous. amazing. I’m staring at the leftovers after having 3 helpings thinking “I hate to see what cooked avocado looks like after a night in the fridge… and wondering if I should attempt to eat the rest? Low point. This was amazing. I only had 4 strips of bacon and didn’t read through to cook the rest of the food in with the bacon fat and had already drained it. Still awesome. Thank you Tieghan!
I am SO glad you loved this Ashley! Thank you so so much!
best pasta dish in the history of all mankind!
Woo! So happy you love this! Thanks Norman!
We made this for dinner last night, and I have to admit, I was a little skeptical about the avocado, but we made the recipe as written (using fresh thyme, not oregano) and I thought it was amazing! I loved that it stays really creamy to the bottom of my bowl, rather than getting kind of “gloppy” as it cools. Loved it and look forward to making it again! Thanks for a great recipe to add to our repertoire.
SO happy you tried it even with the skepticism! I love this recipe! So thank you for making it!!
Made this last night. Another winner for my household. Avocado, cheese, pasta, bacon? Yes yes yes! Made this exactly as you posted and I couldn’t stop eating it.
Thanks for the creative pasta dishes 🙂 Your recipes are always my absolute favorite.
That is so amazing! I am so happy you loved this recipe, Libby! Thanks ?
In love with that creamy avocado sauce! Pasta night needs to happen here asap! 🙂
YES! I hope you absolutely love this!
I first saw this pasta on Instagram and it instantly caught my eye – it’s so beautiful! Carbs, cheese and avocado for the win! 🙂
YES Carbs and avocado for the win!! Thanks Kelly!
You blow me away EVERY.SINGLE.TIME. Your recipe creativity and photos are just the best!
Your the best Jennifer! Thank you so much!
those look delicious! maybe i’ll make them for my cookout this weekend
Hi thank you!! Hope you loved them!
Delicious! I really have to try it!
I hope you love it Mira!
I love carbonara and avocados… this is a fab combo! I love how you used egg as well… not that I’m always a purist, but it irks me when I see carbonara recipes that don’t have egg haha. Glad you were able to unwind a bit on the weekend. You’ve definitely been in my thoughts lately. XO
Me too! So yummy! I am really glad you like this pasta & I hope you love it when you try it! I hope you have an amazing week, Natasha, thanks for keeping me in your thoughts!
I have tried to make avocado in pasta before, and discovered that the avocado becomes absolutely bitter when heated. Doesn’t it happen in this recipe a well? How do you prevent it?
The unpleasant taste might come from the avocados themselves and not because of the heat, though I’m not sure about this because I’ve never cooked avocados. I eat them raw very often and some do taste a little bitter.
HI! I have not experienced this with avocado based sauces, so I am not sure what is happening for you. I have found this sauce to be very good. Let me know if you have questions. Hope you love the recipe!