Avocado Pasta

This zesty pasta recipe was recommended to me by a Finnish friend. Apparently it has been a hit in the country, leading to avocados and pecorino cheese being sold out in a number of grocery stores. It went down surprisingly well with my English test crowd :-)

Ingredients

2 ripe avocados

1 lime

½ cup finely chopped fresh basil and/or coriander

1 glove of garlic

½ red chili

500g wholewheat pasta

100g Italian hard cheese (Pecorino or Parmesan, or half and half)

Salt

Pepper

Olive oil

Price Tag

Under £10. My grocery bill came up to £5.64, but I had the spices, olive oil and fresh coriander to start with.

Directions

1. Crush the garlic and add to a serving bowl. 
2. Deseed the chili and chop into tiny pieces. Add to the bowl.
3. Half the lime and squeeze the zest to the bowl.
4. Half the avocados and remove the seeds. Cut the avocado flesh into small cubes, while still inside the skin, and peel off with a spoon. Add to the bowl and mash a little with a fork.  
5. Grate the cheese and add half of it to the bowl. 
6. Cook the pasta in salted water to al dente (about two minutes less than the pasta instructions say).
7. Pour about 1 cup of the salted pasta water to the bowl and mix well. Taste it - add salt and pepper if needed.
8. Drain the rest of the pasta and mix it with the sauce in the serving bowl. The pasta is done!

The sauce, prior to adding the boiling water and the pasta.

Doll's Tips

If you're craving for some protein, add some lightly seasoned grilled chicken or nuts and seeds to the dish. Rocket salad works well as a side salad as well :-)

Sources

MTV3 Makuja (Avocado Pasta Recipe, in Finnish)