Creamy Strawberry and Avocado Pasta Salad
Pasta salad with strawberries and avocado
Servings 4 people
Cost $10
Equipment
- Food processor
- medium pot
Ingredients
For the pasta:
- 12 oz. whole wheat pasta spirals or penne are great here
- 10 oz. strawberries
- 1-2 avocados
- ½ cup almonds sliced
For the dressing:
- 1 avocado
- juice from 2 limes about ¼ cup
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1-2 tablespoons water if needed
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain well and allow to fully cool. Sometimes I make the pasta the day before I plan to make pasta salad so I don’t have to wait on the noodles to cool off (as I think pasta salad should be served cold).
- In a food processor, combine one avocado, lime juice, garlic, salt, and honey. Pulse well. Add the oil slowly while the food processor is running, or if that isn’t possible (some food processors don’t allow for this), add it in 2-3 batches, pulsing well in between. The sauce should be like a thick salad dressing, think ranch or caesar. If it’s too thick (more like guacamole), then add some water to thin it out. Taste and add more salt if you think it needs.
- Hull and slice up the strawberries. Chop up another avocado, or two if yours are on the small side. Combine in a large bowl with the pasta, then pour the dressing over everything and toss. Top with the almonds and poppy seeds, and you’re in business!
Notes
If you use this as more of a meal (on top of salad greens), it will probably be more like 4 servings. But if you plan to serve this alongside a main course, like veggie burgers or grilled salmon, then it could go further to serve more like 6-8. Great for a potluck.
This is best the day it’s made, preferably consumed within 2-4 hours of making. The chopped avocado, as it’s prone to do, will begin to brown after a while. I had some of this batch leftover and tried covering it well and refrigerating to see how it was the next day, and although the flavor was still great, the pasta had dried out some and the chopped avocado was brown and not super appetizing looking. So you don’t want leftover with this one, FYI.