My favorite comfort meal will always be some sort of noodles - whether that's a takeout box full of pad see ew or a warm bowl of homemade pasta, noodles make my soul smile! I wanted to share a recipe I've been making this summer that's fresh, comforting, and a great way to use your fresh basil - creamy avocado pasta! It has so many great fresh summer flavors: bright lemon juice, fruity olive oil, aromatic basil, and creamy avocado and cheese!
Creamy Avocado Pasta
Recipe originally posted June 2023, updated August, 2024
Ingredients:
- 1 ripe avocado
- 1T fresh lemon juice (or more to taste)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/3c (a good handful) fresh basil
- Drizzle of good olive oil, about 2-3t (this is mainly for flavor rather than texture, you can skip it if you want)
- Red pepper flakes to taste, if desired
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2T butter (or additional olive oil)
- 6-8 oz pasta + 1c reserved pasta water
- Fresh mozzarella and/or parmesan cheese, to top
- Sliced basil, to garnish
Directions:
- Boil a pot of salted water for your pasta and cook pasta according to package directions.
- While the pasta is cooking, roughly chop your avocado, garlic, and basil.
- Once the pasta is done cooking, reserve about 1c of pasta water before draining the pasta.
- Combine avocado, lemon juice, garlic, basil, olive oil, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and about a 1/2c of pasta water in a food processor or small blender; blend until smooth. Add additional pasta water to reach your desired sauce consistency.
- In the same pot you cooked your pasta in over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Stir the cooked pasta back in and coat it with the melted butter. (This step is optional but adds nice flavor and helps the sauce stick to the pasta.)
- Add the avocado sauce to the pasta and stir until the sauce is warmed and the pasta is evenly coated.
- Serve pasta into dishes and garnish with cheese, basil, and additional salt and pepper if desired. (I like dicing up fresh mozzarella and stirring it into the pasta when it's still hot - the cheese melts and it creates the yummiest gooey bites!)
- Enjoy immediately! I've never tried to store leftovers of this sauce, but I don't think it would keep very well with the main ingredient being avocado, although the lemon juice should help keep it from oxidizing. If you try storing it, let me know how it works!
PLEASE make this and let me know if you do - I know you'll love it! It's perfect enjoyed with a glass of crisp rosé in on the deck. 😉
xoxx, Laura
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