Recipe: Tex Mex Avocado Pasta

I came across Angela of Oh She Glows recipe for 15 Minute Creamy Avocado Pasta and I thought it sounded really great. Since I had a bunch of avocados to use up this week I decided to create this recipe with a twist; I really wanted to add more veggies and protein to the dish and spice it up a little.

The first thing I did was weigh out four portions of pasta, two for this dish and two for a dish I made for our lunches. I love using a kitchen scale for things like pasta and snacks because it gives a much more accurate portion than just counting how many crackers are in a serving or approximate measurement.

Tex Mex Avocado Pasta

Inspired by Oh She Glows

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1 cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 12 oz grape tomatoes
• 1 large avocado, pitted and diced
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 tbsp basil infused olive oil
• 1 tsp hot smoked paprika
• 2 cups baby spinach leaves
• 2 servings of pasta (I used Jovial Whole Grain Fusilli)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400F.  Place the chickpeas and tomatoes in a medium oven safe bowl and roast for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and set to the side.
2. Cook your pasta according to the directions on the package.
3. In a mini chopper or food processor add the avocado, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, basil olive oil, and smoked paprika and blend until smooth.
4. To a large bowl add the baby spinach, tomatoes & chickpeas and sauce and top with the cooked pasta; mix to combine.  Serve immediately.