Pasta salad with creamy avocado dressing

Are you a fan of avocado? I sure am. I love them plain, on toast with a dash of salt and pepper, in sandwiches and the list goes on. This time, I decided to use them to dress up a simple pasta salad. Originally, I just wanted to slice the avocado up and toss the pieces into the pasta salad. Then I thought, why not make it into a dressing? And maybe dress it up a little with some lemon and cilantro? Yes you read right. Cilantro. Cilantro goes really well with lemon and/or lime, and I was sure it would add some kick to the dressing. It did – it made the dressing taste really REALLY good.

The best part? This pasta salad is so easy to whip up and you can throw in practically any ingredient you fancy. I threw in some ham, cherry tomatoes and mushrooms because I had those things in my fridge but you can mix and match to your creativity. My husband and toddler loved this  chilled pasta salad and I am sure you would too. If you end up with too much dressing, use it as a dip. In fact, I am considering whipping up another batch of dressing just to eat it with chips

3.0 from 1 reviews

Pasta salad with creamy avocado dressing

 

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Author: Theresa Chu

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients

• 200g fusilli pasta
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped finely
• 6 pieces button mushroom, sliced
• ¼ tsp dried parsley
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 3 slices ham, cubed
• zest of 1 lemon
• salt and pepper

Avocado dressing

• 1 large avocado
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp mayonaise
• 1 bunch of cilantro, stems removed
• salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Boil pasta in a large pot of salted water. Drain and set aside.
2. Add olive oil to a heated medium skillet.
3. Saute chopped garlic till fragrant (not browned) and add in mushrooms and parsley.
4. Saute for about 2-3 minutes. Set aside.
5. Using an immersion blender or a food processor, combine ingredients for avocado dressing. Pulse till smooth and season with salt and pepper. Keep refrigerated till required.
6. In a large mixing bowl, combine cooked pasta, mushrooms, tomatoes, ham, lemon zest and avocado dressing. Season with more salt and pepper if needed.
7. Chill salad till required.

3.2.1255

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