Linguine With Avocado And Arugula Pesto

I had this one in the to try file because I adore arugula, pasta and avocado.  The men in the family are not the avocado lovers, and I was worried that they wouldn't like this dish.  Also, upon initial perusal, it seems like a lot of different flavors to handle.  However, just like when I make something just for them, they need to occasionally eat a recipe that was just for me.  And since I had some perfectly ripe avocados from my Front Porch Pickings basket, tonight was my night.  The recipe was a snap to make.  The only shortcut I took was that I used the green tube pre grated Parmesan that I keep on hand for the girl, rather than grate my own.  Even with squeezing the lime juice my self, making the sauce took less time than it took to heat the water and boil the pasta.  If you don't know how easy it is to get out some avocado slices, just click here for a helpful video.  It was an amazing pesto; even more amazing since it uses avocado in place of the olive oil.  (olive oil is healthy, but avocado seem much healthier)  We played the ingredient guessing game, but no one could tell there was avocado in it until they knew it was in there.  The consensus around the table was it was a solid 4.5.  (we are notoriously snobby when it comes to giving out a 5) I guess the only difficulty could be if one doesn't have a food processor, but a good blender should work too.  You would just need to occasionally stop and tamp down the sauce.  In short, this is an easy, tasty recipe, that is health conscious even if the pasta keeps it from being calorie conscious.



Linguine With Avocado And Arugula Pesto

1 lb linguine pasta
2    medium avocados,halved, peeled, and seeded (about 12 oz)
3 c  baby arugula leaves (3 ounces)
1    packed cup fresh basil leaves
3 T  fresh lime juice (from 2 large limes)
2 ea garlic,peeled and smashed
1 t  kosher salt
1/2 t  freshly ground black pepper
1 c  grated Parmesan (4 ounces)
1/2 c  sliced almonds,toasted (see  Note)
Note: To toast the almonds, arrange in a single layer on a
baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 6 to 8 minutes
until lightly toasted. Cool completely before using.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the
pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring
occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and reserve about 1 cup of the
pasta water. Place in a serving bowl.
Using a spoon, scoop out the flesh from the avocados and place in a
food processor. Add the arugula, basil, lime juice, garlic, salt, and
pepper. Blend until smooth.
Pour the pesto over the pasta and toss together. Add the cheese and
almonds and toss together until coated, adding the pasta water, as
needed, to loosen the sauce