Creamy Spinach Avocado Pasta
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 a ripe avocado
- 1 clove garlic roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup parmesan reggiano finely grated — plus more to serve
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach lightly packed
- 2 tbsp pine nuts plus more to garnish
- juice of a 1/4 lemon
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt plus more to serve
- 1/4 tsp dash of freshly ground pepper plus more to serve
- 375 grams cooked penne pasta 1 box
- 2 cups frozen sweet corn or fresh grilled corn
Instructions
- Fill a large stovetop pot halfway with water. Add a good pinch of salt and bring to a boil.
- Add in penne (or pasta of your choice) and let boil for 10-12 minutes (depending on your preferred tenderness).
- Meanwhile, in a blender (a Vitamix or other power blender is perfect here) add oil, avocado, garlic, parmesan, spinach, pine nuts, lemon, and salt and pepper.
- Blend all on the lowest setting (setting 1 for Vitamix), until everything is well incorporated. Slowly increase to the highest blender setting (Vitamix 10) and blend until the sauce is creamy and smooth (about 45 seconds). Set aside. *If you find the sauce a touch thick or the blender blades become stuck, add in a tablespoon or two of pasta water. That should do the trick!
- Returning to the pasta—a minute or two before the pasta is fully cooked, toss frozen corn into the same pot. Let cook for a minute or two before draining the pasta and corn in a large colander. Toss back into the pot.
- Using a spatula, add the creamy avocado sauce to the pasta and corn and stir until well coated. Be sure to taste at this point, adding salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve with grated parmesan and a sprinkle of pine nuts.
Notes
If you don't have a power blender, like the Vitamix or Ninja, I'm sure a regular old blender will do just fine (though I would expect the sauce to be less creamy and smooth - try it and let me know!). A good food processor would likely do the job.