Monday: Avocado “Pesto” Pasta
Creamy avocado pasta is the perfect unexpected treat to get your Monday started off right!
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 4-8 ounces of brown rice or soba noodles, or any pasta/noodles of choice*
Avocado “Pesto” Sauce***
- 3/4 cup tightly packed arugula**
- 1/4 cup water, plus more as needed to thin the sauce
- 1-1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 small garlic clove
- 1/2 of large ripe avocado
- 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, more to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- 2-3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil (optional but recommended; omit if oil-free)
- 1/2 to 1 cup chickpeas (depends on your appetite)
- 1 small handful of tomatoes: cherry tomatoes, halved (or, regular tomatoes, chopped)
- 1 small handful of arugula or thinly sliced kale (optional)
Instructions
- Cook your pasta/noodles according to package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water until cooked. Divide the cooked noodles into half: use half for Monday’s lunch and store the remainder in the fridge for Tuesday’s lunch.
- Make the Avocado Pesto Sauce. Add the arugula, water, lemon juice, and garlic to a food processor. Process until broken down and the sauce starts to come together. Add the avocado, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Blend until you have a relatively smooth and creamy sauce. Season to taste, adding more salt/pepper or lemon juice, as needed.
- Assemble. Toss the cooked pasta with the Avocado Pesto Sauce. Add in the chickpeas, arugula, and tomatoes, and any other ingredients to jazz it up. Toss to combine.
Video
HEALTHY VEGAN LUNCHES FROM MONDAY TO FRIDAY (+ PDF guide)
Notes
* You will use half of the noodles in Monday’s lunch and the remainder in Tuesday’s lunch.
**If you use kale instead of arugula, remove the thick stems and ribs.
***The Avocado Pesto Sauce can be made up to 48 hours in advance without too much browning (though, of course, it’ll taste freshest if made the morning of).
Nutrition
Calories: 178kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 362mg | Potassium: 286mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 220IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 1mg