Penne with Avocado Pesto

What do you do when you have about eight ripe avocados sitting on your kitchen counter that were supposed to be used for guacamole to feed sixteen hungry teenage girls, but then the function gets cancelled? You have to find ways to use it up before they go bad! Hey..these things are expensive! So I pureed half of them and made this Avocado Pesto. It was deliciously creamy, though it always garners funny looks from the family when I serve them green food. Tune in tomorrow when I share what I made with some of the other avocados!


Penne with Avocado Pesto
Total Time:  30 minutes        Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1 lb. Penne Pasta (I used Barilla Plus)
• 1/4 c. Fresh Basil, chopped
• 4 Avocado
• 1/4 c. Pecorino Romano Cheese
• 2 Garlic Cloves
• 1 Lemon, juice only
• 2 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 c. Grape Tomatoes, cut in half
• Kosher Salt, to taste
• Fresh Ground Black Pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat with a little salt; then add the pasta. Cook until the pasta is al dente; then drain. 
2. Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit and scoop out the fleshy, green part; then add it to a food processor.
3. Next, add in the cheese, garlic, lemon juice and oil. Pulse until well blended and creamy. It should have a smooth consistency. 
4. Place the cooked pasta in a large bowl; then add the tomatoes and avocado pesto. Mix well. 

Enjoy! 

Nutrition Facts

Calories 505, Carbs 62.1g, Fat 23.1g, Protein 15.8g, Fiber 12.4g, Sugar 3.8g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate. 

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