Avocado Pesto Pasta

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Recipe Intro From alexawhatsfordinner

If you're a fan of pesto, you simply must try making it with fresh avocado! The avocado adds a delightful creaminess to the already magnificent sauce. I've seen "avocado pesto" trending on social media for some time, and I'm so happy I finally tried it! To make this dish even more wonderful, I used giant fusilli pasta, called "Colonne Pompeii." The giant pasta makes this so fun and satisfying to eat! I also topped the dish with fresh cherry tomatoes for a bright pop, hot honey, and a big ball of burrata! This dish is a real stunner. 

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Recipe Card

ingredients

  • 1 pound pasta of your choice (I used Colonne Pompeii)
  • Kosher salt, to taste
  • 1 1/2 ripe avocados
  • 1 cup raw spinach
  • 1 cup fresh basil
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/3 cup pine nuts
  • 5 cloves garlic
  • 1 tablespoon hot honey, plus more for serving
  • freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
  • crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 large piece fresh Burrata cheese

Method

  • Step 1

    Bring a large pot of water to boil, and add at least a tablespoon of Kosher salt. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve about 2 cups of the pasta water, strain pasta, and set both aside.

  • Step 2

    To a blender, add the avocados, spinach, basil, lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, pine nuts, garlic, hot honey, pepper, red pepper flakes, and Parmesan cheese. Add about a cup of the reserved pasta water, and blend until smooth and creamy. If the consistency is too thick, add more of the reserved pasta water and blend.

  • Step 3

    In a large pan over medium heat, add the cooked pasta and pour in the pesto sauce. Incorporate the pasta in the sauce and cook until just heated up. Serve pasta into bowls.

  • Step 4

    Top the pasta with more freshly grated Parmesan, more red pepper flakes (if desired), more hot honey (if desired), and cherry tomato halves. Top with a large hunk of fresh Burrata cheese. Dig in and enjoy!