This is one of those recipes. The potential for disaster…or for genius. Lucky for me (and you!) this was the latter.
Of course I’m up for all things avocado. Hello, header on my blog. Or if that’s not convincing enough, what about Tropical Avocado Smoothies? Now those were amazing. And this recipe will be added to the list of avocado cooking successes, too.
And maybe the theme of the week should be FAST meals, because this really is a 15-minute meal. Ironic because I actually had time the night I made this dish, and Thursday night when I made the Salmon Baked in a Foil Parcel with Green Beans and Pesto. But there’s no need to spend wasted time in the kitchen when you can whip up a fabulous, healthy meal in no time, right?
Right.
15 Minute Creamy Avocado Pasta inspired by MyRecipe.org, as seen on Oh She Glows
1 medium ripe avocado, pitted
1/2 lemon, juiced + lemon zest to garnish, if desired
2-3 garlic cloves, to taste
1/4 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
~1/4 cup fresh basil
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
6 oz whole wheat pasta of choice (I used linguine)
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:
Bring several cups of water to a boil in a medium sized pot. Add in your pasta, reduce heat to medium, and cook until al dente, about 8-10 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the sauce by placing the garlic cloves, lemon juice, and olive oil into a food processor. Process until smooth. Now add in the pitted avocado, basil, and salt. Process until smooth and creamy.
When pasta is done cooking, drain and rinse in a strainer and place pasta into a large bowl. Pour on sauce and toss until fully combined. Garnish with lemon zest and black pepper. Serve immediately. Makes 3 servings.
Nutrition Information (per serving): 321 calories; 16 g. fat; 0 mg. cholesterol; 197 mg. sodium; 48.3 g. carbohydrate; 9 g. fiber; 8 g. protein
Result: This was very creamy and rich…a modified pesto, if you will. But it definitely tastes like there’s cream in there. Sneaky 😉 I didn’t tell Mr. Prevention there was avocado in this, and he had no idea. I love the nutrition stats on this meal – tons of mono and polyunsaturated fatty acids and loads of fiber. Low in sodium, too! Add protein of choice for a filling meal, or keep it lighter and vegetarian/vegan…up to you! Enjoy!
[/print_this]Dinner last night with Gina and Nick was fun! We went to a wonderful tapas place and, of course, ate great food. This morning is weigh-in, and I’m hoping a meal out and a glass of wine did not sabotage my efforts this week! I am expecting at least a pound loss. I should go knock on some wood…
I have some grading to do, plants to get into the ground, meal planning, and the usual weekend errands on the schedule. I hope to get in a short run today, too 🙂
Question: Avocado – love, like, indifferent, or pass? What’s your favorite way to eat them?
Happy weekend…bring on the sun!
Great recipe Nicole! This should have been on the menu last night 🙂 Although, I guess it’s more Spain than Italy….oh well.
I do love avocado, and recently I enjoyed it in an omelet from First Watch and fell in love with the idea of avocados in omelets. Not that I’d never had them that way before, but it had been TOO LONG!
I had a great time last night, and so did Nick. Next time, THURMAN’S!!
I hope weigh-in goes well 🙂 Maybe wait until tomorrow because last night’s food was salty.
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Good! You guys let us know what Friday works for you! We had a blast 🙂 And yeah, the food was good but what I ordered was salty…what was I thinking!? 🙁 I’ll wait a day or two for a true read on the scale.
Mmmm this looks delicious! Can’t wait to try it out!
I love avocado but my hubby doesn’t. I saw this on Oh She Glows and I’ve been waiting for a night when he isn’t home to make this. Maybe should give it to him without saying what it is! In the summer I love to eat avocado and tomato with a little salt and pepper.
I absolutely love this recipe – I have made it 3 or 4 times now.
Shrimp is a delicious add but I also think it tastes great plain.
I will eat avocado any way possible – I love it so much!
Have you tried quinoa pasta? I used to buy whole grain, but I really like the quinoa. It has a texture and color that is more like traditional pasta. This is a must try. Any healthy meal I can make in 15 minutes after work is already a winner in my book. 🙂
Great looking recipe, thanks Nicole. I am crossing my fingers, toes and anything else I CAN cross for you at weigh in today!!!! Have a great Saturday!!!
mmmm this sounds great! I’m a fan of avocado too. I could just eat it with a spoon 🙂
I LOVE avocados, and this pasta sounds amazing! I love quick pasta sauces that I can make in my mini food processor in no time.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
This is brilliant! I used to hate avocados but now it’s a love. I want to try this recipe. I’ll try anything that takes 15 minutes and results in a healthy meal!
I’ve been wanting to try this. I love avocado, and buy it every week with such good intentions, but then I wind up craving guacamole. 🙂
I love me some avocado and eat it almost daily on my sandwich 🙂