Creamy Garlic Avocado Pasta

I have mentioned that I was drooling for this dish before. After making it three times in the last week, I think I can say it is VERY much drool-worthy. :) I modified it a just a tiny bit from the original recipe. Here is a tempting preview:

This was how mine was prepared with a light parmesan cheese garnish. I highly recommend treating yourself to a fresh block and grating it yourself. I did that for my 3rd version. SO. Much. Better. Seriously, do yourself a favor and never use the other kind again like I did here.  

This was how Todd wanted his. He wanted fresh ground pepper instead of cheese and added chicken. His was good, but mine was better. ;)


Ready to indulge yourself in a healthy (shhh don't tell anybody) and quick meal? Here we go!

What you need:
1 medium avocado, pitted and peeled
1/2 lemon, juiced
2-3 fresh garlic cloves, peeled and at least chopped
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
1/4 cup fresh basil (optional, it's good but different either way)
2 Tbsp olive oil
6 oz of your choice of whole wheat pasta (spaghetti, penne, farfalle, etc.)
1-2 cups cherub tomatoes, washed and halved

I don't have a kitchen scale, so I just guessed at the amount of pasta for two people, and eyeballed it as I was mixing to get a good pasta-sauce ratio.

What you do:
1. Cook pasta. I am assuming you know how to do this. :)

2. While pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce. Place chopped garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil into blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Add the avocado, basil, and salt. Blend until smooth and creamy. Depending on the age of your garlic and avocado, you might need to adjust in more ingredients as necessary to taste. Too bland? Add more salt. Too thick? Add more oil and/or lemon juice. Not enough garlic? Add more 1 clove at a time. Too much garlic? Add more basil, oil, and/or lemon juice. The point is that you want it to taste good to YOU. If you omit the basil, the garlic will be stronger. It has turned out deliciously different every time I have made it because of the varying age of my ingredients. Have fun with it and don't get discouraged if your first taste while blending isn't optimal. Mine hasn't been yet, but the end result has always won over even the toughest critic (husband). :)

3. Drain pasta and place in a large bowl. Add sauce and mix until evenly coated. Garnish with FRESH GRATED parmesan cheese, halved cherub tomatoes, and/or fresh ground black pepper. Adding sauteed chicken is a good addition too.

4. Serve and enjoy immediately and repeatedly!

As a side note, cut avocados don't stay pretty for the next day. The pasta will taste just the same (trust me), but the dark color it turns can be off-setting for some people. It is best not to have any leftovers if you wish to avoid this.

I hope you enjoy this as much as we did!