creamy avocado pasta

I'm on Day 8 of my 30-Day Vegan Challenge, and I can't say it has been without it's challenges - but I have found some really great recipes to incorporate into my usual meal rotation, whether or not I remain primarily vegan. 

The point of the challenge has not been to fully convert myself to veganism, so I probably won't be maintaining a fully vegan lifestyle.  After watching a few documentaries and reading most of the Challenge book, though, I had no remaining excuses in my arsenal, so off I went on this 30-day adventure.

One of the first recipes I tried was found via Pinterest and comes from Oh She Glows.  This 15-Minute Creamy Avocado Pasta was very flavorful, thanks to the punch of garlic and the black pepper.  I'm finding that the challenge in cooking vegan meals is to keep from comparing them from anything they might be imitating - in this situation, the avocado sauce stands on it's own.  I didn't want to compare it to a cream sauce, because an alfredo or other creamy sauce has it's own flavor which I can equally appreciate.

Anyway, to make the long post a bit shorter, this pasta dish gets a full two thumbs up from me - I'll be making it again, long after the vegan challenge is over.

Creamy Avocado Pasta

via Oh She Glows

Ingredients:

• 1 medium sized ripe Avocado, pitted
• 1/2 lemon, juiced + lemon zest to garnish
• 2-3 garlic cloves, to taste
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
• 1/4 cup Fresh Basil, (optional - I didn't have any on hand so I didn't use it)
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 servings/6 oz of your choice of pasta
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Bring several cups of water to a boil in a medium sized pot. Add in your pasta, reduce heat to medium, and cook until Al Dente, about 8-10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, make the sauce by placing the garlic cloves, lemon juice, and olive oil into a food processor. Process until smooth. Now add in the pitted avocado, basil, and salt. Process until smooth and creamy.
3. When pasta is done cooking, drain and rinse in a strainer and place pasta into a large bowl. Pour on sauce and toss until fully combined. Garnish with lemon zest and black pepper. Serve immediately.