Penne with Sautéed Shrimp and Avocado Pesto

I cannot tell you how excited I am about this blog post. The idea for avocado pesto actually came from my husband! I'm not sure if he saw a recipe somewhere or just thought of it himself but one day he told me I should make it for my blog. I thought this was a perfect idea because I've been wanting to use avocados as my superfood and I happen to be obsessed with pesto.

Typically in pesto, you mix some sort of green- like spinach, arugula, basil, or cilantro with a nut, citrus, cheese and some oil. Because avocados are full of heart-healthy fats, I figured I could probably omit the oil all together and make the dish incredibly healthy. Well...I was right! The pesto was creamy and flavorful and makes me not want to make an avocado-less pesto ever again!

I wanted to make this recipe into a full meal which is where the penne and shrimp come in, but you could really use the pesto on anything! To give you some ideas- you could use it on grilled chicken, any kind of fish, over grilled or roasted veggies, on potatoes or rice, or even on a sandwich! This recipe made A LOT so we wound up freezing 2/3 of it for another time. 

There are more health benefits of avocados than I could possibly mention. Here are just a few of this superfood's amazing qualities: avocados are packed with Vitamin B6 and Folic Acid which can help lower the risk of heart disease. Avocados are also full of flavanoids which help reduce the body of inflammation and certain diseases. This superfood is exceptionally good for your skin, as it can help reduce redness and irritation and also prevent wrinkles and other signs of aging.  Additionally, avocados contain certain acids which are said to reduce the risk of a few kinds of cancers. 

Ingredients:

2 avocados

2 limes- juiced and zested

1- lemon juiced

2 cloves garlic- grated or minced

1/2 cup slivered almonds

2 cups arugula

2 cups basil

1/2 cup grated parmesan or pecorino romano

1/2 lb. whole grain penne

10 shrimp peeled and deveined 

Directions:

1) Cut avocado and scoop flesh into a food processor

2)Add lime juice, lime zest, lemon juice, garlic, almonds, arugula, and basil to the food processor

3) Pulse food processor a few times and then blend for a minute or until pesto is thick and creamy

4) Scoop pesto into bowl and add in grated cheese

5) Cook pasta to al dente and drain

6) Add shrimp to a hot skillet with olive oil. Add salt/pepper to taste and saute until pink and cooked through

7) Add pesto to pasta and mix thoroughly until noodles are coated in the deliciousness. Add shrimp and top with additional grated cheese, if desired.

*The pesto makes about 6 servings