Spaghetti with Avocado Sauce

It was only a few years ago that I really discovered my love of avocado.  Plain, on sandwiches, in guacamole... all sounds delicious to me.  I'd never had it on spaghetti until now.  This is basically like having guacamole on spaghetti, though the avocado sauce is slightly different from traditional guacamole.

Warm spaghetti is topped with fresh spinach, a cold avocado sauce, pistachios, and Parmesan cheese.  The result is a cold-temperatured, flavorful meal.  I found it very filling which is always nice!  If you wanted a warmer meal, you could try chopping up the spinach and warming it with the noodles, so only the sauce would be a cold ingredient.

This meal serves 4, but the sauce does NOT keep for leftovers.  If you want to have it for two nights, make half the sauce for each time you will serve it.  You can cook the spaghetti all at once and reheat for the second night (or have cold).

This meal would have been great to share for St. Patrick's Day, but unfortunately I found it too late!  So much green deliciousness on one plate. :)

Spaghetti with Avocado Sauce

serves: 4

INGREDIENTS:

• 8-10 ounces whole wheat spaghetti
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup almond milk (other milk would probably work)
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning (or more basil)
• 2 cups spinach
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (optional)
• 1/4 cup chopped pistachios
• ground black pepper (optional)

Avocado Sauce (must be served immediately):

• 2 ripe avocados
• 2 cups spinach
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 small tomato
• 1/2 small yellow onion
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1)  Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook spaghetti according to package instructions.  Drain and set aside.

2)  Meanwhile, combine first six sauce ingredients in the bowl  of a food processor--- avocados, spinach, carrot, tomato, onion, and garlic.  Process until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.  Add lemon juice and spices and continuing to process for another 20 seconds.  Set aside.

3)  Once the spaghetti has been drained, return empty pot to stove.  Leave the heat off for now.  Add olive oil and milk and stir to combine.  Add spaghetti, basil, and Italian seasoning and toss to combine.  Turn on heat and warm spaghetti if necessary/desired.

4)  Divide spaghetti among 4 plates.  Top with spinach, then avocado sauce, then Parmesan cheese, then pistachios.  Sprinkle with ground black pepper if desired.  Serve immediately.

(recipe adapted from Oh Ladycakes)