The weather is warming up and winter is finally over! Instead of those heavy pastas you enjoy during the cold months of the year, it's time to switch gears to something refreshing. My go-to creamy pasta to make at home is always the shrimp avocado pasta. It only takes about six ingredients and less than an hour to make this dish that's perfect for a solo meal, packing for lunch the next day, or a big dinner party.
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Being lactose intolerant for the last decade or so, it's been nearly impossible to find a creamy pasta dish that isn't drowning in cheese and butter. I love cacio e pepe and lasagna as much as the next person, but my digestive system will make sure I'm bound to the bathroom for the next day after consumption. So, I had to start looking for alternatives. That's when I came across avocado pastas!
Avocados are nutritious with over 20 vitamins and minerals and have so much versatility. From toast, to sandwiches, salads, and even baked goods, avocados have been the trending hype for the last several years. What's even better about them is since they have such a mild taste and a lot of bulk, they take on the delicious flavours you add. This makes them the perfect base for a pasta dish.
The shrimp avocado pasta has been a huge hit at all of my dinner parties. I wanted to share it with friends and family because it's easy to make, uses minimal ingredients, leaves a minimal mess to clean up, can be made as a large batch to feed many mouths, and I feel good about feeding others a nutritious meal.
What You'll Need: [For 4 servings]
1 lb Pasta (1 bag = about 4 cups dry)
2 avocados, ripe
1/2 lb shrimp (0.3 kg), peeled
1 lemon, large
6 garlic cloves
1 onion, yellow
2 tbsp oil, rapeseed (or any tasty cooking oil)
1/4 tsp salt (or to taste)
We're going to do a bit of multitasking to keep this recipe's cook time at about 30 minutes. You can do this! I believe in you. No distractions. Or ask your partner or family member to help out. We can get this done in time for your next meal without breaking a sweat because it's that easy.
The pasta you choose is up to you and what you are comfortable with. This sauce is versatile and works well with a variety of pastas. Personally, I love the long spaghetti noodles for pretty much everything. But as a rule of thumb for this dish, you want pasta shapes that can really scoop up the creamy avocado sauce such as fusilli or farfalle. I've used all of the above and they work well.
What To Do:
Boil water in a pot with a dash of salt. Add pasta once the water comes to a boil and boil until al dente.
Mince the garlic cloves and slice up the onion (about 1/4" or 0.5 cm thick).
Add oil to the pan at medium heat and cook the the garlic and onion until brown.
4. Add the shrimp to the pan. Cook thoroughly until pink then 1-2 minutes more.
While the shrimp, garlic, and onions are cooking, we'll prepare the sauce in the blender.
5. Peel and dice up 2 whole avocados and add to the blender.
6. Add the rind and juice of one large lemon to the blender along with a couple of pinches of salt. If your lemons are smaller in size, use two. To peel the rind without the bitter pith, use a sharp vegetable peeler or a zester.
Extra Tip: If you want to spice up your pasta with a jalapeño or chilli flakes, this is where you want to add it to the mix.
7. Now, back to the pan. Once the shrimp is cooked, put the shrimp in a bowl and put it to the side. Then, add the sautéed garlic and onions along with the oil into the blender mix.
8. Blend the pasta sauce until it is creamy smooth (about 1-2 minutes on high). Add one tablespoon at a time of lemon juice or water if the mixture is too thick to blend. Taste to make sure it is well seasoned.
9. In a large bowl, toss the cooked pasta and shrimp with the creamy avocado sauce.
10. Plate for yourself or serve to your dinner party guests in a beautiful serving bowl for self-service. Garnish with whatever your heart desires (basil, tomatoes, or arugula). Enjoy!
If you want to make it a vegan dish, simply substitute the shrimp for another protein that's meatless such as tofu. Don't be afraid to be creative. It's a freeing experience and makes you feel very accomplished to call this dish your own. If you love it, let me know! Can't wait to hear from you.
I'm always about encouraging creativity with easy dishes to make it your own - if you've read my previous posts. Have no fear. Adding the spices, like I mentioned earlier, creates another dimension to the dish. I also elevated this pasta before by using lobster tail instead of the shrimp. I made sure to use only fresh lobsters to make this dish, but I steamed the lobster tail before tossing it in the pasta. Everyone loved it! Tell me how it turned out for you by leaving a comment below.
To add some texture I added some crispy garlic chips at the end... So good! Thanks for the rec :)
Simple delicious ingredients are the way to go! I hope you enjoy! Thanks for pinning it - bluetobliss!
This looks delicious. I love all of the ingredients so I am sure to love them all mixed together. Going to pin it for the next time I shop. Thanks!
hey Shana! I can't wait for you to try it too. I'm not a fancy cook, so I love it when delicious dishes are really easy to make - and also nutritious. Never thought avocados would play that role =)
A friend of mine told me about avocados with pasta and I absolutely love it. I'm not even a huge avocado fan. Can't wait to try your recipe. Sounds delicious.