If I ever became vegan for whatever reason, I know that the thing I'd miss most would be dairy. Eggs, I could quite happily live without. Meat, I already do live without. But I don't often find vegan ways of creating creaminess all that inspiring. Blended tofu, processed nuts, soy-based dairy alternatives... none of these really light my fire. Avocado, on the other hand, totally does it for me. It's a great vegan way of adding creaminess to a dish. I'm sure you've all seen avocado pasta before, but avocado and rocket pasta is far more flavourful - much better than pure creaminess without any real taste.
As you can see from the haphazard way that the spaghetti is dolloped into the bowl, I'm not always the tidiest of people - but somehow I'm a perfectionist simultaneously. Growing up, my bedroom was always an absolute tip - it's a bit embarrassing really. Just piles of stuff everywhere. Yet at the same time, my CDs and books were all alphabetised, and the clothes in my wardrobe were hung up in categories (actually these last few things are still true...). So although I wiped the edge of the bowl carefully for this picture to ensure there weren't any stray flecks of green, the pasta itself is just a big mess. I never quite understand what goes on in my brain.
Anyway, get on this one quickly while it's still summer. I feel like such a British cliché because I seem to always be talking about the weather, but it's chucking it down with rain today. Despite summer only having officially started a few days ago, it feels like autumn is just around the corner, so these fresh, summery recipes need to be made soon!
(PS. be aware that all of my posts for the next million years are going to include roasted garlic, ever since I wrote that post about how to make roasted garlic. I usually only roast a small amount at a time, but since I wanted a few bulbs roasted for the photo, I now have loads to use up. Sorry! If you don't have any and don't want to make any, just use raw garlic, but only use one small clove!)
- 150g pasta
- 1 clove garlic (or 2-3 cloves roasted garlic - see below)
- 50g fresh rocket (arugula)
- 1 avocado
- 2tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1tbsp olive oil (optional)
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Boil the pasta according to the instructions on the packet.
- Meanwhile, blitz the garlic and rocket in a food processor until finely chopped. Add the avocado and lemon juice, and blitz again. If the mixture looks too dry, you might like to add a small amount of olive oil to moisten it. Season to taste.
- When the pasta is ready, drain it and add the sauce. Cook, stirring constantly, over a low heat for 5 minutes, until the sauce is heated through.
Click to find out how to make roasted garlic.
Fern E says
I can't understand what went wrong with mine - or if perhaps I'm just not a fan of avocado/rocket (I've never really used either so I couldn't pick out which one it was that I didn't like). It was almost unbearably bitter as an aftertaste. Any suggestions on what might have gone wrong? It was hard to swallow it was so bitter.
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
Oh I'm sorry to hear that! Did you try any of the rocket on its own? It's probably that which tasted bitter, it's got quite a strong peppery flavour so it could just be that you're not a rocket fan (or it could have been a bad batch?). Maybe next time you could try spinach or another milder green :)
Katrine says
The mix of advocado and aragula was brilliant!! I rosted the garlic with some mushrooms and added a few yellow tomatos. Yummy!!
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
Oooh roasted mushrooms would be SO good with this! Sounds lovely! :)
sabina says
For anyone who doesn't have a processor, I made this the lazy way last night.
Dumped the avocado (and fetta, sorry not vegan) in the bowl, lemon juice, pepper, then a big handful of rocket, more lemon, then hot pasta on top and stir it all up. Bit of crunch is nice. Esp when you are a lazy cook like self. i'm going to do again with garlic and pine nuts......
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
That sounds great! And feta sounds like an amazing addition :)
Ruveen says
Hi there, I just made this for dinner with brown rice fettucine as the pasta and it was so delicious. Its such a great recipe for the current season, Spring. Its very bright and flavorful and felt guilt free! Thank you!