Avocados are always on hand in this house. I know a lot of people who don’t really care for them, but I find them both versatile and delicious. From straight up guacamole, to using them in pasta salads and sandwiches, to making a killer pesto for pasta…they never disappoint. They also happen to be good for you!

Ready?

Add two ripe avocados (obviously pitted and scooped out of the skins), 10 large leaves of fresh basil, 1/2c freshly grated Parmigiano, 1/2c chopped walnuts, 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, and pinch of salt and pepper to the bowl of a food processor. Process until starting to get smooth and then with the machine still running, slowly add about a 1/4c extra virgin olive oil.

Done.

Now the hard part is waiting for the water to boil and the pasta to cook (al dente…ALWAYS!). I generally use penne for this (always a pound…with two boys anything less is laughable), but spaghetti will work just as well. Remember to save about a cup of the cooking water to thin out the pesto as you mix it with the pasta.

This was our dinner last night. No…there were no leftovers.