red or green?: Avocado & Cilantro Pesto with Whole Wheat Penne

I am a huge avocado fan. Give me a bowl of guacamole, some chips and a bit of salsa and I am a happy girl. Or spread a ripe avocado on toasted whole wheat bread, sprinkle some salt, pepper & dried red pepper flakes over the top and lunch is served. This versatile, creamy, healthy fat fruit (yes, avocados are fruit!) is packed full of fiber, vitamin K, folate, vitamin C, vitamin B5, potassium and vitamin B6.

Today I decided to experiment with using avocado to create a pesto. Using classic guacamole ingredients like avocado, cilantro, onion, jalapeno and lime juice added to toasted walnuts and lemon cucumber, this delicious sauce is wonderful tossed into whole wheat penne pasta with in-season cherry tomatoes and chives. What a perfect combination! The pesto is also nice used as a dip with fresh vegetables and/or crackers, spread on sandwiches or dolloped on baked potatoes. Enjoy!

Avocado & Cilantro Pesto with Whole Wheat Penne
1/2 cup toasted walnut halves
1 avocado, pitted and cubed*
1 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
4 green onions, white & green parts
1/2 small red onion, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and chopped (do not seed if you want it really spicy)
1/2 medium size lemon cucumber, roughly chopped
juice from 1/2 lime
1/8 cup avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

1 lb whole wheat penne pasta
extra virgin olive oil
2 pints cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup chives

Add toasted walnuts to bowl of food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add next 9 ingredients plus a pinch each of sea salt & black pepper. Pulse until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.

Meanwhile, bring large pot of water to a boil, add 2 handfuls of salt and the pasta. Cook according to package directions. Drain, reserving the pasta water.

In a large skillet, warm 2 tbsp olive oil. Add tomatoes, cover and cook for 5 minutes until they burst and soften. Add the cooked pasta, 1 cup of pesto and 1/2 ladle of pasta water. Stir to combine. Add another 1/2 to 1 cup pesto until you get the texture you like. Stir, taste and add additional salt and pepper if desired. Serve, snipping chive leaves with scissors over top.

*pitting an avocado