Cold Pasta with Avocado Pesto and Grape Tomatoes

Name: Cold Pasta with Avocado Pesto and Grape Tomatoes
Yield: Serves 2 servings
Ingredients: 5 oz short pasta, such as casarecce (140 grams); 1/4 ripe avocado; 1 tablespoon lemon juice; 3 tablespoons toasted blanched almonds (about 25 grams); 3 basil leaves; 1 pinch salt; 1 small tip of a garlic clove; 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil; as needed Pasta cooking water,; 7 oz grape or cherry tomatoes (about 200 grams)

Laura Cicutto @ConLaura

Cavallino (VE)

During the hot summer, my husband prefers to eat cold pasta, so I'm always looking for new recipes. Today, I'm sharing a cold pasta dish featuring an ingredient I recently discovered and immediately loved: avocado. This creamy fruit with a thin skin and large pit is packed with countless health benefits, making it a true superfood—as long as you choose a good-quality, perfectly ripe one. Avocado works well in both sweet and savory recipes. Today, I'm offering a light way to dress cold pasta, using some of the pasta cooking water, but of course, you can adjust the amount of oil to suit your dietary needs if you prefer a richer pesto.

Laura Cicutto @ConLaura

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Ingredients

Serves 2 servings

5 ozshort pasta, such as casarecce (140 grams)
1/4ripe avocado
1 tablespoonlemon juice
3 tablespoonstoasted blanched almonds (about 25 grams)
3basil leaves
1 pinchsalt
1small tip of a garlic clove
1 tablespoonextra virgin olive oil
as neededPasta cooking water,
7 ozgrape or cherry tomatoes (about 200 grams)

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Steps

1

First, toast the almonds in a nonstick skillet over low heat for a few minutes without adding any oil or fat. They should not get too dark. If you only have almonds with skins, you can use those—the result will still be great.
2

As soon as they're toasted, immediately take 6-7 almonds and slice them into thin strips. It's easier to cut them while they're still warm and soft. Let the remaining almonds cool.
3

Bring a pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Meanwhile, quarter the tomatoes and place them in a bowl with a pinch of salt.
4

Cook the pasta. Halfway through cooking, scoop out a few tablespoons of the pasta water and set aside to cool.
5

Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and cool it under cold running water or as you prefer.
6

Add the pasta to the tomatoes and mix well.
7

Chop the cooled almonds in a food processor, pulsing until finely chopped.
8

Add the diced avocado, basil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and olive oil to the almonds. Blend until smooth.
9

Gradually add a few tablespoons of the cooled pasta water, a little at a time, until the pesto reaches your desired consistency.
10

If you prefer a richer pesto, you can use only olive oil instead of water.
11

Toss the pasta with the avocado pesto, mix well, add the sliced almonds, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors meld.