Avocado & Salad Pasta

We will often come across an evening when I just don't feel like breaking out the saute pans or chopping up a lot of different ingredients.  For such times, or when I just want to whip up a quick lunch, I will turn to this fantastic idea from Giada De Laurentiis.  She takes avocado and arugula and zaps it all together in the food processor with some other tidbits.  Since I feel the need to cut corners with every recipe, I've taken her idea and omitted a few things.  I'll often just serve it by itself or sometimes I'll pair it with sauteed scallops, chicken or fish.

Avocado & Salad Pasta (aka Green Spaghetti)

adapted from Giada De Laurentiis'  Linguine with Avocado and Arugula Pesto

Ingredients

• 1 pound linguine pasta
• 2 medium avocados, halved, peeled, and seeded (about 12 ounces total)
• 1/2 - 3/4 bag of supermarket salad (50/50 Mix or Spring Mix work well)
• Juice from 1 lemon
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup grated Parmesan (4 ounces)

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water. Place in a serving bowl.

Using a spoon, scoop out the flesh from the avocados and place in a food processor. Add the salad, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper and cheese. Blend until smooth.

Pour the pesto over the pasta and toss together. Add some pasta water if you need to loosen the sauce.