Try this Creamy Avocado and Spinach Pasta recipe!
- Carbohydrate 7.38889062690895 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 17.2165425083138 g
- Fiber 4.9100749603484 g
- Protein 2.61188125118547 g
- Saturated Fat 1.91672075071337 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (151g)
- Sodium 28.1853307293435 mg
- Sugar 2.47881566656055 g
- Trans Fat 0.936545250393377 g
- Calories 180 calories
Step-by-step
- Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package.
- While pasta is cooking, add the rest of the ingredients to your blender and blend until it turns into a smooth sauce. Start with ¾ cup of pasta water and add more as needed to get the consistency you want.
- Toss the pasta with the sauce in a bowl and serve immediately. This sauce is best served the day it is made, as it uses avocados which will turn a brownish color.
Emulsifying raw avocado into a hot starch solution requires precise thermal management to prevent the fats from breaking and turning greasy. Blending the fruit with fresh greens, nuts, and citrus creates a vibrant purée, but introducing boiling pasta water directly to the canister activates residual enzymes that must be balanced immediately with acid. Fresh lemon juice supplies that necessary pH drop, halting oxidation while brightening the heavy lipids from the fruit and pecans. Raw garlic can easily overpower delicate greens; grating it on a microplane or soaking the clove in the lemon juice for five minutes beforehand softens its sulfurous bite before it hits the blender blades.
Managing Texture and Temperature
Starch molecules from boiling semolina act as the primary stabilizer for this dairy-free emulsion. Reserve one full cup of cooking water before draining the pasta, ensuring enough liquid remains to adjust viscosity. Start the blender with three-quarters of a cup of this starchy liquid, observing the vortex closely. A properly aerated sauce should coat the back of a spoon thickly without dragging. Toss the hot noodles vigorously with the purée off direct heat to prevent the delicate avocado fats from separating into an oily film.
- If the purée appears too thick, incorporate the remaining starchy water one tablespoon at a time until smooth.
- Consume this dish immediately after mixing, as raw avocado oxidizes rapidly upon exposure to ambient air.
- Substitute walnuts or cashews for pecans at a one-to-one ratio if preferred.
- Store unused raw avocados in a bowl of cold water in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours to delay ripening.
