Tonight I got a craving for pasta, despite the 95 degree heat today. But not just any pasta! I wanted something rich and creamy without the butter and heavy cream that usually comes with traditional alfredo sauce. Introducing Creamy Avocado Pasta Primavera!
Sometimes, I create recipes on the spur of the moment and tonight was one of those times. I looked in the fridge to see what I had to work with and noticed there were 3 avocados that were so ripe another day may have spoiled them. Perfecto! I knew my dish was going to include those along with the basic staples of nutritional yeast, olive oil and garlic. So I set forth to first make the sauce. A little bit of this and a little of that and this is what I ended up with:
Ok, so I know it looks like Linda Blair from the Exorcist paid me a visit, but I must say it came out very tasty. Next, I looked around to see what I could add to the Primavera. I chose fresh grape tomatoes, asparagus and sweet corn as I find the flavors and the colors of these vegetables complement each other very well.
As I started sautéing the vegies, I did a big oopps; something I hope you never do. When I grabbed the pepper container off the spice rack, I turned it over and unbeknownst to me, the top was open and I nearly shook the entire pepper contents into my lovely dish. Oh, no! As I began to rescue what I could of the pepper out of the pan, I told my boyfriend Michael “I hope you like pepper!” He knew better than to say a word! All kidding aside, I thought my dish was ruined but luckily, I removed enough of it and it tasted just fine.
Anyway, my Creamy Avocado Pasta Primavera came out delicious and took only about 30 minutes from prep to plate. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. Michael’s already had seconds!
- 2 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 3 medium ripe avocados pitted and halved
- juice of 1/2 mediuim lemon
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 to 1 tsp sea salt
- pepper to taste
- 1-16 oz box 100% whole wheat spagetti pasta
- 1 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 1 bunch asparagus
- 1 carton grape tomatoes
- 3/4 cup frozen sweet corn
- 2 cloves garlic
- sea salt and pepper to taste
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Place all ingredients into a food processor. Process until smooth and creamy, about 3 or 4 minutes. Set aside.
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Bring 4 quarts of water to a rapid boil. If desired add 1 tbsp. olive oil so the noodles don't stick. Gradually add spaghetti to boiling water. Stir gently and return to rapid boil. Cook uncovered for 7 to 9 minutes. Drain. Set aside.
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In the meantime, add olive oil to large frying pan or Wok. Add garlic, asparagus, tomatoes and sweet corn and lightly sauté until the vegetables are slightly tender but still a little crisp, about 10 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.
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Add avocado sauce to pasta. Stir thoroughly.
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Add pasta to plate. Top with primavera vegetables and serve piping hot.
If you would like to cut down on calories and fat, you can make this recipe oil-free. Simply substitute vegetable broth for olive oil when making the sauce and cooking the vegetables. TIP: You may need to use a little more vegetable broth when making the sauce than you would have used making it with olive oil.
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