Pasta combined with fresh avocado, tomatoes, and artichoke hearts; then tossed in a light Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette.
For the past two weeks, I have been trying my best to be a General Contractor. Between coordinating bathroom renovations, wood floors, spraying my old bathtub, and new banisters it's been exhausting!
I've come to the conclusion that I hope I will never have to do it again! Though the two main contractors we're working with are great and very accommodating, it still frustrates me when I have a "fool proof" plan on my calendar; then have to rearrange everything and everyone's schedule because of one glitch.
Hello, I'm as OCD as they come! When we purchased this home 11 years ago, it was not in the best live-in condition. So we threw down carpeting over the hardwood floors, painted the walls, sanded down and painted the kitchen cabinets and moved in.
Though some rooms have been redone throughout our time here, there are others that haven't been touched since 1964; namely the bathroom. This year we decided to finally finish this project.
That brings me to this recipe for Avocado and Artichoke Pasta Salad. I had been so busy running around ordering this, picking up that, painting walls, molding, etc, that I rarely eat breakfast or lunch and wanted to make something that I could pick on during the day when I had some time.
Avocados were on sale so I purchased some; not sure what I was going to make with it. At the time, the only thing I've ever made with an avocado was guacamole.
After I got home, I looked around to see what I could experiment with and found some artichoke hearts, limes and cilantro; which I happened to have because I made some pico de gallo over the weekend.
How do you make Avocado and Artichoke Pasta Salad in a Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette?
For this recipe you'll need pasta, avocado, tomatoes, artichoke hearts, lime, cilantro, grated Pecorino Romano cheese, Canola oil, Kosher salt and black pepper.
I used Gemelli pasta, but you can use any other pasta like macaroni, orzo or shells. Start by cooking the pasta according to package directions, rinse under cold water and allow to cool before adding it to a mixing bowl.
Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit and scrape out the fleshy part while the pasta is cooking. Chop the avocado into small bite sized pieces and add to the mixing bowl.
Next, add the cooked pasta, tomatoes, artichoke hearts, lime zest and juice, cilantro, cheese, oil, salt and pepper and mix well until all ingredients have been incorporated. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
This Avocado and Artichoke Pasta Salad in a Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette was super light and refreshing and serves approximately six people. If you'd like, you can also add some grilled chicken or shrimp. The girls liked it so much, they even took some of this salad for lunch the next day. ~Enjoy!
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Avocado Artichoke Pasta Salad in a Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 2 cups uncooked gemelli pasta
- 1 avocado, diced
- 2 plum tomatoes, chopped
- 1- (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, chopped
- 1 lime, zest and juice
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
- ¼ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- ¼ cup Canola oil
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Start by cooking the pasta according to package directions, rinse under cold water and allow to cool before adding it to a mixing bowl.
- While the pasta is cooking, cut the avocado in half, remove the pit and scrape out the fleshy part. Chop the avocado into small bite sized pieces and add to the mixing bowl.
- Next, add the cooked pasta, tomatoes, artichoke hearts, lime zest and juice, cilantro, cheese, oil, salt and pepper and mix well until all ingredients have been incorporated. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
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