PASTA CON PALTA (CREAMY AVOCADO PESTO PASTA)
In 2016, Sandra A. Gutierrez began to narrow down a list of 9,000 recipes to about 500 for her encyclopedic Latin American cookbook, “Latinísimo: Home Recipes From the 21 Countries of Latin America.” She wanted to focus on the dishes people made at home for a readership of novice cooks. This easy, weeknight recipe from Chile emulates that spirit with the use of Hass avocados — the main variety produced in the country — to make a rich and silky sauce that comes together in a blender as the pasta cooks. For best results, sauce and eat the dish immediately to enjoy its velvety texture.
Makes: Total time:
4 servings
30 minutes Fine sea salt
1 pound spaghetti or fettuccine
2 Hass avocados
cup (2 ounces) walnut pieces
2 garlic cloves, chopped 2 tablespoons olive oil
teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste
1. Bring
a large pot of salted water to a boil over high. Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente.
2. While the pasta cooks,
halve the avocados, discard the pits and transfer the flesh to the bowl of a food
processor or blender. Add the walnuts, garlic and oil; process or blend until smooth, scraping the sides as needed. (Patience is key; keep blending until the mixture is fully creamy.)
3. As soon as the pasta is al dente, reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta, then transfer to a large bowl. Using tongs or two large forks, toss
vigorously with the avocado sauce, 1½ teaspoons salt, ½ teaspoon pepper and ½ cup of the reserved pasta water. If the sauce is too thick, toss with more reserved pasta cooking water until the sauce is creamy and glossy. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then serve immediately.