Avocado Pasta

http://damndelicious.net/2014/06/20/avocado-pasta/

Avocado Pasta

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Yield 4 servings

The easiest, most unbelievably creamy avocado pasta that everyone will love. And it'll be on your dinner table in just 20 min!

Ingredients

• 12 ounces spaghetti
• 2 ripe avocados, halved, seeded and peeled
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• optional: 1/4 c slivered almonds
• optional: sauted shrimp
• optional: mushrooms, sauted mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, corn, etc.

Instructions

• In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well.
• To make the avocado sauce, combine avocados, basil, garlic and lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor; season with salt and pepper, to taste. With the motor running, add olive oil in a slow stream until emulsified; set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine pasta, avocado sauce, cherry tomatoes and corn.
• Serve immediately.

Notes

Adapted from Comfort of Cooking

My notes:

Modified from http://damndelicious.net/2014/06/20/avocado-pasta/

For the sauce, substitute (for some of the oil) or supplement some water from cooking the pasta to thin it if needed.

Spaghetti Squash Tacos

http://lemonsandbasil.com/vegetarian-spaghetti-squash-tacos/
A Mexican favorite with a bit of a twist, replace the traditional shredded pork or chicken with seasoned spaghetti squash, black beans, Greek yogurt and all your other favorite toppings!
Author: Kaylee Pauley (Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen Cookbook.)
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
1 medium spaghetti squash
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ tbsp chili powder
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp sea salt
Sixteen 6-inch corn tortillas
1 can organic black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup Greek yogurt (substitute guacamole to make this vegan)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, finely diced
1 avocado, chopped
chopped cilantro
favorite salsa

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray pan with coconut oil cooking spray. Cut the squash in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and roast the halves facedown on baking pan for 35-40 minutes or until flesh is soft.
2. Once the squash is cooked, remove and allow to cool 5 minutes, then scrap the flesh with a fork to loosen and separate the strands. Add strands of flesh to bowl and discard skins.
3. In a separate bowl, combine chili powder, cumin, coriander, and salt, whisk in lemon juice and pour over squash strands. Gently toss to mix seasonings throughout, taste and adjust seasonings accordingly.
4. Heat a dry skillet over medium heat and warm tortillas one at a time until slightly blistered on each side, about 30-45 seconds per side.
5. To assemble the tacos, transfer warmed tortillas to platter and add spoonful of black beans, scoop of seasoned squash, dollop of Greek yogurt, finely chopped tomatoes and avocados, then sprinkling with chopped cilantro.
6. Add salsa, hot sauce or any other desired garnishes and serve. Or more importantly, EAT!

Quinoa Salad with Broccoli-Avocado Pesto

Photo by Katie Morris

Katie Morris November 7, 2012

http://greatist.com/health/recipe-quinoa-broccoli-avocado-pesto

Inspired by the Orzo and Broccoli Pesto Salad in Heidi Swanson's Super Natural Every Day and the Barefoot Contessa's Parmesan Roasted Broccoli. Serves 2-3.

What You'll Need:

1 cup quinoa, cooked
2 medium heads broccoli, cut into florets
8 cloves garlic, peeled but left whole
1/4 cup olive oil, divided
Sea salt
1 ripe avocado, pit removed
2 tablespoons pine nuts or almonds
1/2 tablespoon butter
1/4 pound mushrooms
2 oz. parmesan cheese, cut into small chunks
fresh lemon juice (optional)

What to Do:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Toss the broccoli and garlic cloves with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt. Roast for 15-20 minutes, until both broccoli and garlic are beginning to brown. Stir part way through if anything looks like it's burning.
3. Set 1/2 cup of the roasted broccoli pieces aside.
4. Add the remaining roasted broccoli, roasted garlic, avocado, parmesan cheese, and remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil to a blender, and blend until a smooth puree is formed. Taste and season with salt. Stir in a squeeze of lemon juice if desired.
5. Mix half a cup of the broccoli pesto and the reserved broccoli florets into the cooked quinoa. Save any leftover pesto in the fridge for another use.
6. Heat a frying pan over medium heat. Add the nuts to the dry pan and toast, stirring frequently, for 2-3 minutes, or until fragrant and beginning to turn golden brown. Remove from pan and add to cooked quinoa.
7. Add the butter to the same frying pan and let it melt. Add mushrooms and cook until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Add to the salad and serve the whole mixture warm.

Looking for more roasted vegetable recipies? Check out our roundup of five favorites from around the web.

What's your favorite go-to roasted vegetable recipe? Share with us in the comments below or tweet us @greatist!