2013 – Gluten Free Living

Creamy Avocado and Tomato Pasta is absolutely delightful. Okay, I know what your thinking….Avocado sauce for pasta? Yikes. Well, it’s not yikes, it’s actually quite wonderful. My daughter-in-law posted a picture of this fantastic dish on her FaceBook site a few weeks back and I looked at it and said I want to try this recipe!

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So while we were visiting them over Valentine’s Day we re-made this recipe. We made one gluten free and one with regular wheat pasta. I have since made it again with many additions and it’s just one of those recipes that’s hard to kill! Quite frankly, I can’t get enough of the sauce!

My husband is not an avocado lover. That means when I make this recipe, I make it for me to eat for lunches or when John is traveling. For fellow Texans, if you think Guacamole Pasta with an Italian emphasis you won’t be too far afield. It’s yummy.

It’s actually quite healthy, too. Creamy Avocado and Tomato Pasta is a great recipe for Meatless Mondays. It’s also quick enough to make up in a jiffy when time is at a commodity. Especially on days when you want to prepare a home-cooked meal but can’t spend all day in the kitchen.

And, if you’re an avocado lover like me, you will adore this sauce. I can’t figure out what causes this recipe to be so special, but it really is. You will think I’ve gone off the deep end but I can’t get enough of this great pasta dish.

Candice found the recipe here at The Flourishing Foodie. Check out her blog sometime. She’s got some great stuff. The source for the recipe is here. Oh She Glows, the originator of this recipe, has a website dedicated to healthy vegan eating.

For those of you with dietary needs or just trying to eat healthy or vegan you may want to comb through her recipes. The original recipe calls for basil which I think would enhance the flavors of this pasta recipe, but I didn’t realize it when we made this version. I will be adding it in subsequent versions, however. This dish is so hearty and filling.

For those of you on the Eat To Live diet this is a great option. If you are vegan you can eliminate the parmesan cheese if you like. I made this recipe gluten free by using a rice flour-based pasta instead of one with wheat. The avocados are high in Omega 3 oils which are extremely healthy, too. If you’re looking for something different and you love the taste of avocados or guacamole, then consider making this tasty recipe. It’s a sumptuous treat.

When I originally posted this recipe in March of 2013, we used pictures from my daughter-in-law’s home. It was the dead of winter in Pennsylvania so the light was darker than normal. Plus, I had a poor iPhone camera and their plates were either red or black which were definitely not conducive to food photography.

I recently remade this recipe (September 2014) and retook the pictures so you have a better idea of how lovely this pasta dish really is.

I do have a couple of recommendations. If you’re using fresh basil (the source recipe calls for 1/2 cup), I would suggest you cut that down to 1 or 2 tablespoons (or 1 teaspoon of dried basil). Any more basil than that and it overwhelms the dish. You can also eliminate the basil entirely, which is what the adapted recipe and my daughter-in-law did when they made it. I love the avocado cream used in this recipe and prefer it not overwhelmed with basil, but that’s my personal preference.

When cooking with gluten free pasta, don’t use strictly corn pasta. It’s AWFUL! Seriously. Ronzoni has a nice blend with quinoa, brown rice flour and corn pasta. I can’t rave enough about this GF pasta. It’s the best I’ve tried in four years of trying to eat gluten free. Most of the others are way too starchy and just don’t taste very well.

I hope you give Creamy Avocado and Tomato Pasta a try sometime. It’s decidedly different but has quite a gourmet taste. It’s also perfect for Meatless Mondays, Lent, or any other time you want a delicious main dish without meat. If you leave off the parmesan cheese topping, you can easily have a vegan version of this entree as well.

Creamy Avocado and Tomato Pasta has amazing gourmet taste due to making an avocado cream that’s stirred into the pasta.

Sprinkle pine nuts and parmesan cheese over top of individual servings as desired. 

If vegan, consider using a cheese alternative. This pasta dish is so quick and easy to prepare and assemble. While the tomatoes are roasting you can get everything else ready. Dinner can be ready in about 45 minutes – start to finish.

Creamy Avocado and Tomato Pasta is a great pasta dish to serve on Meatless Mondays.

Here’s what I did.

I used these ingredients.

Boil your pasta. I used a gluten free pasta, but if you don’t have a gluten intolerance you can use regular wheat or whole wheat pasta.

Boil pasta according to package directions. Set aside.

Meanwhile,  place halved grape or cherry tomatoes in a baking dish. Drizzle olive oil over top of the tomatoes. Add salt and pepper and roast at 300 for about 30 minutes. Don’t over roast the tomatoes or they won’t hold their shape when you stir them into the pasta. You can use a toaster oven for this step if preferred.

Meanwhile, cut avocados in half. Remove pit and peel. Slice in quarters. Place avocados in blender or food processor. Add salt and olive oil.

Add 3 cloves of garlic and squeeze lemon juice into the avocado mixture. Add chopped fresh basil, if using. 

Blend until mixture is smooth. 

Drain the cooked pasta. 

Reserve at least 1 cup of pasta water to use for mixing the sauce into the pasta just in case it’s too thick. I find that if I use fresh basil this isn’t normally needed, but otherwise the avocado mixture can be so thick that it’s hard to stir into the pasta. 

Add creamed avocado mixture to the gluten free pasta and stir to combine.

Add roasted tomatoes.

Stir very gently to combine.

To serve, spread Creamy Avocado and Tomato Pasta on a plate. Sprinkle with pine nuts, then parmesan cheese, followed by salt and pepper to taste. Creamy Avocado and Tomato Pasta is healthy as well as delicious.

If you think of Guacamole Pasta you won’t be too far off from the wonderful taste of this recipe. It has a little bit of an Italian spin with the pine nuts, parmesan cheese, and fresh basil if you added it to be processed with the avocados.

This is seriously good pasta.

Here’s the recipe.

CREAMY AVOCADO AND TOMATO PASTA

(Recipe adapted from my daughter-in-law, Candice Ambra, Oxford, PA, via Flourishing Foodie. Source: adapted from Oh She Glows)

Creamy Avocado and Tomato Pasta

Teresa Ambra

Succulent and delectable gluten free pasta recipe with a luscious, creamy avocado sauce and tomatoes. This entree is garnished with roasted pine nuts and freshly grated parmesan cheese for wonderful Italian flavor. It's perfect for Meatless Mondays, Lent or anytime you want to avoid meat. The robust flavors make this a terrific dish for company.

No ratings yet

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Course Main Dish, Meatless Main Dish/Casserole/Veggie Side Dish, Pasta

Cuisine Italian

Servings 4

Calories 780 kcal

Equipment

• 1 baking sheet or jelly roll pan
• 1 medium stock pot with lid
• 1 colander
• 1 food processor or blender
• 1 wooden spoon
• measuring cups
• measuring spoons
• 1 sharp knife to cut vegetables

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 10 - 12 small Campari tomatoes quartered, (I've also used grape tomatoes, halved)
• 4-5 tbsp. olive oil divided use
• 8 oz. box gluten free fettuccine or linguini noodles or noodles of your preference
• 3 ripe avocados pit and skin removed
• 3 cloves garlic peeled, or use 1 tablespoon minced garlic from a jar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 lemon You'll need only the juice
• 1-2 tbsp. fresh basil chopped
• 1/3 cup pine nuts
• 1/4 cup fresh Parmesan cheese grated
• 1 tsp. salt and cracked black pepper to taste
• 1 cup reserved pasta water if necessary

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 300º.
• Wash and halve the tomatoes.
• Place in a baking dish sprayed with olive oil cooking spray.
• Drizzle with 1 - 2 tbsp. olive oil, just enough to make the tomatoes glisten.
• Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
• Bake for 30 minutes in the oven.
• Do not overcook the tomatoes or they will become mushy.
• While tomatoes are roasting, fill a large pot with water and a sprinkle of salt.
• Bring to a rapid boil.
• Add the dry pasta to the water and cook according to package directions.
• While the pasta is boiling, add 2 tbsp. olive oil, avocados, garlic, salt, basil (if using), and lemon juice to a food processor.
• Pulse until the ingredients are smooth and creamy.
• Strain the pasta, (reserving one cup) and combine with the sauce in a large bowl, until all the pasta has been covered; drain remaining pasta in colander.
• Add reserved noodle water if needed (see note below), and combine until smooth.
• Gently stir in the roasted tomatoes; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and pine nuts.
• Add some salt and black pepper to taste.

Notes

NOTE: You may want to reserve one cup of water from cooking noodles in case the sauce seems too thick. I have served this both ways--using the reserved water and without it.

 

NOTE: The original recipe called for ½ cup fresh basil. When you use this much basil it overtakes the rest of the ingredients. If you enjoy fresh basil one or two tablespoons is enough to give you the fragrant taste of basil without overwhelming the rest of the dish. Or you can eliminate the basil entirely.

 

NOTE: Ronzoni now makes a GF pasta with brown rice flour, corn flour and quinoa flour that is quite good.

 

Recipe adapted from Flourishing Foodie; source: adapted from Oh, She Glows.

 

^© Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen

Nutrition

Calories: 780kcalCarbohydrates: 81gProtein: 19gFat: 47gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 9gMonounsaturated Fat: 26gTrans Fat: 0.04gCholesterol: 53mgSodium: 409mgPotassium: 2192mgFiber: 19gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 4683IUVitamin C: 99mgCalcium: 165mgIron: 4mg

Keyword avocados, gluten free, main dish, noodles, parmesan cheese, pasta, tomatoes

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Creamy Avocado and Tomato Pasta has a wonderful avocado taste. The grated parmesan cheese enhances the robust flavor of the pasta and the pine nuts add a nice crunch.

Here’s another close up so you can see the texture of this amazing pasta dish. 

Creamy Avocado and Tomato Pasta can be whipped up in less than an hour! You can have a healthy, gluten free meal ready in about 45 minutes. Come join me for dinner, avocado lovers!

You may also enjoy these delicious recipes!

Creamy Avocado Pasta with Roasted Veggies

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Greek Pasta Salad

Creamy Avocado and Tomato Pasta

Teresa Ambra

Succulent and delectable gluten free pasta recipe with a luscious, creamy avocado sauce and tomatoes. This entree is garnished with roasted pine nuts and freshly grated parmesan cheese for wonderful Italian flavor. It's perfect for Meatless Mondays, Lent or anytime you want to avoid meat. The robust flavors make this a terrific dish for company.

No ratings yet

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Course Main Dish, Meatless Main Dish/Casserole/Veggie Side Dish, Pasta

Cuisine Italian

Servings 4

Calories 780 kcal

Equipment

• 1 baking sheet or jelly roll pan
• 1 medium stock pot with lid
• 1 colander
• 1 food processor or blender
• 1 wooden spoon
• measuring cups
• measuring spoons
• 1 sharp knife to cut vegetables

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 10 – 12 small Campari tomatoes quartered, (I’ve also used grape tomatoes, halved)
• 4-5 tbsp. olive oil divided use
• 8 oz. box gluten free fettuccine or linguini noodles or noodles of your preference
• 3 ripe avocados pit and skin removed
• 3 cloves garlic peeled, or use 1 tablespoon minced garlic from a jar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 lemon You'll need only the juice
• 1-2 tbsp. fresh basil chopped
• 1/3 cup pine nuts
• 1/4 cup fresh Parmesan cheese grated
• 1 tsp. salt and cracked black pepper to taste
• 1 cup reserved pasta water if necessary

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 300º.
• Wash and halve the tomatoes.
• Place in a baking dish sprayed with olive oil cooking spray.
• Drizzle with 1 – 2 tbsp. olive oil, just enough to make the tomatoes glisten.
• Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
• Bake for 30 minutes in the oven.
• Do not overcook the tomatoes or they will become mushy.
• While tomatoes are roasting, fill a large pot with water and a sprinkle of salt.
• Bring to a rapid boil.
• Add the dry pasta to the water and cook according to package directions.
• While the pasta is boiling, add 2 tbsp. olive oil, avocados, garlic, salt, basil (if using), and lemon juice to a food processor.
• Pulse until the ingredients are smooth and creamy.
• Strain the pasta, (reserving one cup) and combine with the sauce in a large bowl, until all the pasta has been covered; drain remaining pasta in colander.
• Add reserved noodle water if needed (see note below), and combine until smooth.
• Gently stir in the roasted tomatoes; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and pine nuts.
• Add some salt and black pepper to taste.

Notes

NOTE: You may want to reserve one cup of water from cooking noodles in case the sauce seems too thick. I have served this both ways–using the reserved water and without it.

 

NOTE: The original recipe called for ½ cup fresh basil. When you use this much basil it overtakes the rest of the ingredients. If you enjoy fresh basil one or two tablespoons is enough to give you the fragrant taste of basil without overwhelming the rest of the dish. Or you can eliminate the basil entirely.

 

NOTE: Ronzoni now makes a GF pasta with brown rice flour, corn flour and quinoa flour that is quite good.

 

Recipe adapted from Flourishing Foodie; source: adapted from Oh, She Glows.

 

^© Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen

Nutrition

Calories: 780kcalCarbohydrates: 81gProtein: 19gFat: 47gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 9gMonounsaturated Fat: 26gTrans Fat: 0.04gCholesterol: 53mgSodium: 409mgPotassium: 2192mgFiber: 19gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 4683IUVitamin C: 99mgCalcium: 165mgIron: 4mg

Keyword avocados, gluten free, main dish, noodles, parmesan cheese, pasta, tomatoes

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!