lemon dill pasta salad

An un-Italian flavored pasta salad?

Pasta salad with no olives?

A veggie-heavy pasta salad?

Pasta salad not dripping in oil?

Yes, yes, yes, and yes.

My intention for this dish was to put a twist on the classic Italian veggie pasta salad everyone grew up eating.  I seem to have a think for lemon + dill right now, so I figured I would go with it.

I wanted to create a lighter dish packed with flavor and loaded with fresh vegetables.  Something that makes you come back for 2nd’s+ 3rd’s.  A dish that is great for a crowd, or to pack for your lunch all week.

To make the sauce thick + creamy I used avocado alongside extra virgin olive oil.  Avocado in dressing is my new favorite trick.  So much creaminess + chock-full of healthy fats. 

It’s Friday.

You’ve had a long week.

So let’s get right down to business.

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Lemon Dill Pasta Salad

serves 6-8

• 8oz pasta of choice
• 3.5 cups broccoli, chopped
• 2 cups asparagus, ends trimmed + chopped
• 1.5 cups zucchini, sliced + chopped in half
• 1 large red/orange/yellow bell pepper, sliced
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• 1/3 cup red onion, minced
• 1/2 cup sunflower/pepita/hemp seeds

Lemon Dill Dressing [use ~3/4 of the dressing]

• 1 avocado
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2.5 teaspoons garlic, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt + more to top
• 1/2 cup dill, loosely packed
• 2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 Tablespoon maple syrup/honey
• black pepper

1. Chop + prep all ingredients.  Also get a large pot of water boiling for the pasta and a pot of boiling water set up to steam the vegetables.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions, then rinse with cold water until chilled.  [I used GF quinoa veggie curls – new favorite!]
3. While the pasta is cooking, steam the broccoli + asparagus for 3 minutes, then add in the zucchini for 2 more minutes.  Be careful not to over-steam the veggies.  You want them crunchy.
4. Remove and rinse with cold water, then place in a large bowl filled with water and ice [ice bath] until chilled.
5. Drain the water very well and combine with the pasta, tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, and seeds.  I used a mix of 5T sunflower seeds and 3T hemp seeds.
6. In a blender/magic bullet/food processor/etc. add all of the dressing ingredients and process until smooth.  Scrape the sides of the container if necessary.
7. Adjust the salt/pepper/lemon if desired.  I added a hefty amount of pepper.
8. Starting with 3/4 of the dressing, combine it with the pasta + veggies until well coated.  Add more if desired.  I reserved the rest and stored it in the fridge.
9. Taste and add more salt + pepper.  I added about 1/4-1/2t more salt and a lot more pepper.  Adjust to your liking.
10. Chill in the fridge before serving and store in a sealed container in the fridge for about 3 days.

notes:  If you don’t like dill, you can definitely sub another herb like basil.  You will most likely need to adjust the amount.

You can add your favorite protein to make this a full meal, or serve it as a side dish.  I pressed a block of tofu, cubed it, then tossed it with lemon juice, a little oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  No cooking needed, I just threw it right in!  Also delicious with feta and/or goat cheese on top.

Enjoy the weekend!

Ashley

p.s.  Hi from Kenna and all 3 of her bones…silly dog.

creamy avocado veggie pasta

I finally got to make dinner for my family tonight.  With everything that’s been going on, we’ve been eating whatever we can find and throw together in 10 minutes or less.  Still nutrient dense + healthy but a bit boring + repetitive.

I knew I wanted to make something that no one had ever tried before.  It’s actually new to me too! 

I’ve been all about avocados lately, so I grabbed a few not even knowing what I would make with them.

I cook a lot of quinoa + millet dishes, but not too much pasta.  Just a preference thing.  But tonight, pasta sounded perfect.  A pasta dish filled with vegetables.  I decided to combine avocado with chickpeas to make a thick, creamy sauce.  The chickpeas add a kick of protein and help to bulk up the sauce. 

This could probably double as a veggie dip, too!

I packed as many veggies into the pan as possible.  Then, I mixed in the avocado cream sauce and a bit of the pasta cooking water to thin it out.

Dinner for a family of 8 was done in 35 minutes. 

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Creamy Avocado Sauce + Veggie Pasta

vegan, gluten-free // serves 8-10

Sauce

• 2 avocados
• 1 cup chickpeas
• 1/2 cup walnuts, soaked for 4+ hours
• 3/4 cup basil, loosely packed
• 6 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 1.5 teaspoons lemon zest
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 Tablespoon sunflower oil
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• black pepper to taste

1. In a large food processor add the garlic and turn on until minced.
2. Scrape the bowl and add the avocado, chickpeas, walnuts, basil, lemon juice, lemon zest, oil, salt + pepper.
3. Turn on and let process until smooth and creamy.  Scrape down the sides as necessary.
4. Taste and add more salt + pepper if desired.
5. Refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 3 days.

Pasta

• 16-20 oz dry [gluten free] pasta
• 1 cup pasta cooking water
• 3 cups broccoli, chopped
• 1 lb asparagus, ends trimmed + chopped in half
• 1 large red pepper, sliced
• 10 oz baby portabella/crimini mushrooms, sliced
• 1/4 cup basil, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tablespoon sunflower oil
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt
• black pepper to taste
• toasted walnuts/parmesan cheese/toasted pepitas/basil [optional toppings]

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions and reserve 1c of the cooking water when you strain the pasta.  Rinse the pasta with cold water and set aside.
2. In a large pan over medium heat, add the oil.
3. Once hot, add the garlic and cook for 30sec-1min until just starting to brown.
4. Add the broccoli and asparagus and cook for 5-7min, until just starting to soften.  Stir frequently.
5. Add the mushrooms and cook for another 3-4min, stirring frequently. 
6. Add the red pepper for 1-2min until slightly softened.  Stirring a few times.
7. Add the pasta, as much avocado sauce as desired, and start with 1/2c of the reserved cooking water.  Toss with tongs to combine.  Add more cooking water if needed.
8. Cook for 2-3min until the pasta if heated through.
9. Mix the basil in, in the last minute.
10. Add optional toppings and serve immediately.

notes:  I used Lundberg brown rice pasta.  If you cook according to package directions and immediately rinse with cold water, the noodles will not have a gummy texture.  Feel free to sub your favorite noodles.  When using the full 20oz of pasta [2 Lundberg boxes] I also used all of the avocado sauce. 

I love cooking for the family, and I don’t think they mind either. 

Next up?  Dessert!

Ashley