Light yet creamy and decadent, this Avocado Pesto Pasta is just as delicious cold as it is warm. A filling pasta salad that is packed with the deliciousness of golden beets, corn, goat cheese, and arugula. It’s an ideal summer dish.

Close up of a serving bowl filled with pasta, avocado, cheese, and golden beets.

Avocado is best served immediately after cutting it, even in this pasta. If you keep it in a sealed container in the refrigerator, it is also OK the next day. Do not reheat.

If you plan to serve this dish cold, do not rinse the pasta to speed up the process. It is better for you to mix the pasta together hot than to cool the pasta down by rinsing it. Rinsing the pasta will prevent the sauce from absorbing into the noodles.

How to Make Avocado Pesto Pasta

For this recipe, you will need the following ingredients: pasta, arugula, pesto (or basil, olive oil, garlic, salt & pepper), pine nuts, corn, avocado, golden beets, and goat cheese.

Ingredients for pasta salad including avocado, beets, corn, arugula, pesto, and noodles.

Roast the beets by drizzling them with olive oil, wrapping them in foil, and baking for ~45 minutes at 400F.

Labeled photos showing how to wrap beets in foil to roast them.

PESTO: Trim the stems off the basil. Quarter or roughly chop the garlic. Put the basil, garlic, toasted pine nuts, salt, and pepper in a food processor or blender. With the food processor on, slowly add the olive oil. Taste and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Greens and garlic a food processor bowl.

Bring a pot of water to boil. Cook and drain the pasta.

When the beets are ready, peel, and chop them into large chunks, cubes, or slices.

Four photos showing steps to peeling cooked golden beets.

Add the following to a large serving bowl: corn, pesto, goat cheese, avocado arugula, pasta, and beets.

A large mixing bowl full of beets, avocado, corn, pasta, and cheese.

Just as delicious served hot as it is cold.

A full serving bowl of fusilli pasta salad with greens, beets, and avocado.

More Filling Pasta Recipes

Pasta is the ultimate comfort food, and you’ll find me making some pretty delicious pasta recipes and ones to go with them.

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Close up of a serving bowl filled with pasta, avocado, cheese, and golden beets.

Avocado Pesto Pasta with Beets, Corn, Goat Cheese & Arugula

5 from 8 votes
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Light yet decadent, this pesto pasta with goat cheese, golden beets, avocado, and corn is just as delicious cold as it is warm.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time55 minutes
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Main, Side Dish
Cuisine: American, Italian
Servings: 4
Calories: 823kcal

Ingredients

Ingredients

  • 2 golden beet or 1 extra large
  • 4 oz. goat cheese broken up into small chunks
  • 2 ears corn sliced off the cob
  • 2 cups packed arugula
  • 2 avocados cut into cubes
  • 1 lb. pasta

Pesto:​

  • 1.5 cups packed basil Stems removed
  • 1 cloves garlic Rough chopped
  • tbsp  toasted pine nuts
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Roast the beets by drizzling them with olive oil, wrapping in foil, and baking for ~45 minutes at 400F. When cooked, peel, chop into large chunks, cubes, or slices.
  • PESTO: Trim the stems off the basil. Quarter or roughly chop the garlic. Put the basil, garlic, toasted pine nuts, salt, and pepper in a food processor or blender. With the food processor on, slowly add the olive oil. Taste and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Bring a pot of water to boil. Cook and drain the pasta.
  • Add the following to a large serving bowl: corn, pesto, goat cheese, avocado arugula, pasta, and beets.
  • Toss and serve! Just as delicious hot as it is cold.

Notes

If you plan to serve this dish cold, do not rinse the pasta to speed up the process. It is better for you to mix the pasta together hot than to cool the pasta down by rinsing it. Rinsing the pasta will prevent the sauce from absorbing into the noodles.
Avocado is best served immediately after cutting it, even in this pasta. If you keep it in a sealed container in the refrigerator, it is also OK the next day. Do not reheat.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 823kcal | Carbohydrates: 99g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 154mg | Potassium: 981mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1165IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 114mg | Iron: 4mg
Did you try this recipe?I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a Review to let us know how it came out, if you have a successful substitution or variation, or anything else.
5 from 8 votes (8 ratings without comment)

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