Queenie Cooks: Spaghetti with Avocado and Basil

I'm not a big believer in the "health food" label. I feel like it makes everything to which it's applied sound like it's made of sandpaper and flavorless-but-nutritious goo, as though the very idea of one's virtuousness makes everything taste like crap. (Yeah, I said it.) And this is coming from someone whose choices actually tend to run toward things like vegetables, red wine and whole grains.

So I'm always a bit suspicious of blogs that tout their devotion to "healthful lifestyles" and the like. That doesn't mean I don't read them, but it does mean I take them with a grain of salt. (After all, where else will the flavor come from? Ba-dum-bum!) Sometimes, though, I'm forced to eat my own prejudices; this time, that eating came in the form of a lemony avocado pasta.

Angela from Oh She Glows (whose incredibly cheerful mission is to show her readers that food and exercise can be fun) adapted this from a recipe she found while poking around on Recipe.org, and I have to say that her version is practically perfect in every way.  It's delightfully garlicky, super-creamy, and the bit of basil she includes hints at the arrival of spring, which, these days, feels just around the corner. (It's supposed to be 51 degrees here tomorrow - FIFTY-ONE!)

So, thank you, Angela, for reminding me that food created under the banner of health deserves love, too. Sometimes even the grouchiest among us need to be schooled.

This recipe takes about 15 minutes to throw together, and would go swimmingly with a beet salad, or even one made with escarole or kale - just to remind you that spring isn't quite upon us. Not just yet.

Creamy Avocado Spaghetti
Adapted from Oh She Glows

1/2 pound spaghetti, cooked to al dente and drained
3 garlic cloves
Juice of one lemon
2 tbs. olive oil
1 ripe avocado, pitted and removed from the peel
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Zest of one lemon, for garnish (zest your juice lemon before you juice it)

While the pasta cooks, combine the garlic, lemon juice and olive oil in the bowl of a food processor and puree until smooth. (An immersion blender and a tall, narrow container work well for this, too.)

Add the avocado and basil and continue to puree until smooth and evenly incorporated. Salt and pepper the sauce liberally, tasting for seasoning as you go.

Once the pasta is cooked and drained, return it to the pot and toss with the sauce.  Taste again for seasoning, then divide the pasta between two bowls. Top with a grind or two of fresh pepper and the lemon zest.

Serves two.

Comments

[Pretty Mommy]

I would have never thought to put avocado in for creaminess but that sounds like pure genius - YUM!

[Ashley]

I made this for Aron and I! Delicious! I think I'd like it as a side with some grilled chicken or protein. Thanks!