This versatile pasta salad can be served warm or cold! With a pesto sauce made from Parmesan, cilantro, pine nuts, basil, parsley, chives and garlic and a topping of avocado and Oaxaca, this pasta can be left vegetarian or paired with a pan seared salmon or grilled chicken to make a delicious dinner! Incorporating fresh Hass avocados in your family's everyday recipes helps to increase your fruit and vegetable intake. They're delicious, heart-healthy, and a source of naturally good fats.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. fusilli pasta
- 1-1/2 c. fresh cilantro leaves
- 1/2 c. fresh parsley leaves
- 1/2 c. fresh basil leaves
- 1/3 c. fresh chives
- 1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 ea. garlic clove, peeled
- 1 T. freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 c. pine nuts
- 3/4 c. parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 t. salt
- 1/4 t. ground black pepper
- 1 ea. Avocado From Mexico, halved, pitted, peeled, and diced
- 8 oz. Oaxaca cheese or fresh mozzarella, 1" dice
Instructions
- In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta until al dente.
- In the meantime, prepare pesto. In bowl of food processor or blender, place cilantro, parsley, basil, chives, oil, garlic, and lime juice. Process until smooth.
- Add pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Process until smooth.
- Drain pasta; place in large bowl; add pesto mixture. Toss until pasta is well coated.
- To serve, spoon pasta onto plates. Top with avocado and Oaxaca cheese chunks. Can be served warm or cold.
- Refrigerate in covered container up to 1 week.
DESCRIPTION
This versatile pasta salad can be served warm or cold! With a pesto sauce made from Parmesan, cilantro, pine nuts, basil, parsley, chives and garlic and a topping of avocado and Oaxaca, this pasta can be left vegetarian or paired with grilled salmon or a grilled chicken sandwich to make a delicious dinner!
FAQ
What should you serve with pesto pasta?
Try serving your pesto pasta with seafood, like shrimp avocado bites, or grilled salmon, for example. Pesto pasta also pairs well with chicken, like this grilled chicken sandwich with avocado jalapeño mayo.
Where can you buy Oaxaca cheese?
It’s surprisingly easy to find a grocery store that carries Oaxaca cheese; most grocery stores have it, and you can even find it online.
Do you let pasta cool before making pasta salad?
It’s not necessary to let your pasta cool before making it a pasta salad. Slightly warm pasta works better in pasta salads because it heats the sauce ingredients, allowing them to stick to the pasta better than they would if the pasta were cold.
