Avocado Pesto Quinoa Pasta Recipe

quinoa pasta recipe

by on May 17, 2011

On the menu for lunch today was this Avocado Pesto Quinoa Pasta Recipe.  I was craving pasta.  I don’t know why – probably because I’ve been really amped up this week with the book launch and pasta recipes always make me feel good.  And I had a pantry full of avocados just screaming to be used in a really great avocado recipe lest I find myself sprinkling salt on them and eating them for late night snacks.

The ebook launch has been very exciting for me!  I want to especially thank all of you who have reached out to me via email.  It’s been overwhelming in the best possible way.  I am truly honored and touched. (If you haven’t already, you can go here to check out my Quinoa Cookbook.)

Anyways, I just felt like it was a pasta sort of day and luckily I had a box of quinoa pasta in the pantry.

quinoa pasta recipe

Avocado Pesto Quinoa Pasta Recipe

Now, if you haven’t tried quinoa pasta  yet – I really think you are missing out.

It’s not as healthy as quinoa itself of course, but quinoa pasta is a much better alternative to white pasta.  (I actually have a pasta maker on my wish list because I want to experiment with making my own.)

Truth be told, I think I prefer quinoa pasta to white pasta, especially the linguine.  (Tip:  When picking quinoa pasta the spaghetti and linguine are the best pasta options.  The others are good but you will barely notice the difference between this and white pasta.)

I’ve always been a big fan of pesto and have made a lot of pesto recipes, but this pesto recipe is really something special.  Not only does it come together easily, but the flavor is out of this world.  And of course, I’m always a sucker for avocado recipes.

This recipe is perfect for those of you who have been requesting easy quinoa recipes because you can whip up the sauce in the time it takes to cook the pasta.  Start to finish, you are done in 10 minutes or less!

I served it with an Heirloom Tomato Salad with Capers, and the combination was fantastic!  Next time, I think I will top the pasta with some additional pine nuts.  All in all, this was the best pasta recipe that I’ve made in a very long time.

 

This recipe is lightly adapted from Chef Chole.

quinoa pasta recipe

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Avocado Pesto Quinoa Pasta Recipe

8 ounces quinoa pasta
2 T fresh basil, chopped
¼ cup pine nuts
1 avocado, pitted and peeled
1 T lemon juice
4 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup olive oil
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground pepper
¼ tsp crushed red pepper
8 sun dried tomatoes, chopped
¼ cup Parmesan (optional)
  1. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Make sure you don’t undercook!
  2. While pasta is cooking, combine basil, pine nuts, avocado, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper in your blender. Process until smooth. (If desired, add in half of parmesan, save other half for topping)
  3. Toss pasta with sauce and top with sun dried tomatoes and Parmesan if desired.

Preparation time: 10 minute(s)

Cooking time: 8 minute(s)

Diet type: Vegan

Diet (other): Reduced fat

Number of servings (yield): 6

Meal type: dinner

Culinary tradition: USA (General)

Calories per serving: 318

Fat per serving: 20.4 Saturated Fat 3.0g Cholesterol 4mg Sodium 320mg Total Carbohydrates 29.9g Dietary Fiber 4.6g Sugars 1.6g Protein 6.3g

 

 

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