Calling all avocado fans!! If you’re like me, you buy avocados in the bag to the get the best deal. This also means, that you have a lot of avocado to use. This cilantro avocado pesto pasta recipe is so good, I ate it everyday last week to use up my bag of buttery avocado fruits!
In addition to avocados, I have totally fallen in love with chickpea pasta. You could use any pasta in this recipe, but using chickpea pasta gives you a boost of protein, as well as fiber. Two essentials that you need in your diet, that usually wouldn’t be high in a basic pasta dish.
I seem to always have cilantro in the fridge. It pairs perfectly with avocado and lime, so I used generous handfuls in this pesto. I also tried versions with a higher ratio of avocado, and they worked as well. Make your pesto how you like it!
Tips and Tricks for the Cilantro Avocado Pesto Pasta recipe:
- This is a great way to use up a past its prime avocado. The green color of the cilantro masks the avocado.
- Hot sauce may seem like an unusual mix in, but I love the spice and acidity that it adds. I won’t eat this dish without it! My favorite hot sauce to use with avocado is Louisiana-style.
- Need to store the leftover avocado? Keep the pit in the second half, it will help protect against browning. Spray the open green flesh with some spray oil (I use a Misto
) and wrap it up tight in plastic wrap. The oil will help seal the flesh, better than the plastic alone.
- Eat lunch with a friend: double the recipe, using the whole avocado.
) and wrap it up tight in plastic wrap. The oil will help seal the flesh, better than the plastic alone.- 4 oz chickpea pasta
- Small handful of cilantro (about 1 cup, stems and leaves)
- 1 garlic clove
- ½ an avocado
- ½ TBS olive oil
- 1 TBS lime juice
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp hot sauce (or to taste)
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve 2 TBS pasta cooking liquid when draining.
- Meanwhile, combine cilantro and garlic in a food processor and process until finely chopped. Add olive oil, lime juice, and the avocado. Pulse until your desired consistency (I like 2 pulses).
- Toss cooked pasta with cilantro avocado pesto, salt, and hot sauce. Serve.
