Year of the Noodle: Week 26

Being able to make cold noodles is fabulous.  Last year around this time I was trying to figure out how to make cold soup that wasn’t disgusting (and failing at it.)  Pasta salads have become my new best friend.

The only thing that makes cold noodle dishes even better?  Avocado.  I love avocado.  Love.  So finding a recipe that included it in a noodle dish felt a little like it was meant to be.

The recipe is pretty darn good, too.  I found the pesto to be just a tad salty, so I’d advise you to slowly add your salt to taste rather than fully following the recipe.  This would be great to bring to a potluck – particularly since the avocado will not stay good in the fridge for too long.  Enjoy!

Cilantro Pesto Pasta with Avocado and Oaxaca Cheese

Ingredients

• 1 pound fusilli pasta
• 1-1/2 cups fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
• 1/3 cup fresh chives
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 1tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup pine nuts
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 fully ripened avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and diced
• 8 ounces Oaxaca cheese or fresh mozzarella, diced into 1-inch cubes

Directions

1. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta until al dente. In the meantime, prepare pesto.
2. In bowl food processor or blender, place cilantro, parsley, basil, chives, garlic, lime juice and oil; process until smooth. Add pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper; whirl until smooth.
3. Drain pasta; place in large bowl; add pesto mixture; mix until pasta is coated. To serve, spoon pasta onto plates; top with avocado and Oaxaca cheese chunks; serve warm or cold.

Source: Pati Jinich