Pasta with Broccoli, Avocado Sauce
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Wouldn’t weight loss be easier if you didn’t feel hungry?
New research shows that eating half an avocado for lunch offers significant help with reducing appetite and cravings and can help you avoid snacking. So if you’d like to get the munchies under control, you might want to consider enjoying some Healthy Guacamole with your lunch. Or an Avocado Sprout Sandwich for lunch.
Or savor this luscious and so-good-for-you Pasta with Broccoli and Avocado Sauce. Slimming avocados and velvety white beans add rich, creaminess to this pasta dish without fattening ingredients like cheese or cream.
Pasta!
Any type of pasta works in this recipe, but we like to use Tinkyada pasta because it’s made from whole grain brown rice – a healthy, slimming alternative to regular pasta. It’s really good and doesn’t taste “healthy”!
Pasta with Broccoli, Avocado Sauce
Ingredients
- 8 ounces uncooked pasta - I recommend Tinkyada pasta.
- 5 cups raw broccoli florets and tender stems
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium sweet onion
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 2 small cloves garlic or 1 large clove
- 3/4 cup cooked white beans - drained
- 2 teaspoons granulated onion
- 1 1/4 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon honey - optional
- 1 cup mashed ripe avocado - (about 2 medium avocados – see note)
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to directions on package.
- Meanwhile, cut broccoli into bite-size pieces. Cut stems a little smaller than florets since florets cook faster. Set aside.
- In a large saucepan or a pot, sauté onion in oil over medium (not high!) heat until just beginning to appear translucent (about 7 to 9 minutes). Do not brown onions.
- Stir broccoli and 1/2 cup water into onions. Cover, turn heat to medium-high, and steam until tender but not mushy (about 7 to 9 minutes). Watch closely and add a tablespoon or two more water if needed.
- Place lemon juice, garlic, beans, seasonings, and honey in food processor. Process until very smooth. (Be sure garlic gets pureed.)
- Add mashed avocado to food processor. Process until thoroughly mixed.
- When pasta is done, drain and then immediately return pasta to the pan it was cooked in.
- Add avocado mixture to pasta and mix well. (Or you can stir in half the avocado mixture and serve the remainder on the side to dollop on top of pasta.)
- Stir in broccoli and onions. Serve immediately.
Notes
>> One quick request: if you like this recipe, please leave a rating and a comment. Ratings help more people find these healthy recipes!
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Just discovering avocados. Not that I didn’t know about them, but never ate them much. This looks really good.
this is not vegan
Hi there.
Thank you for pointing that out, but I never claimed it was vegan.
If you look again at the recipe, you may notice that the honey is optional, so if you don’t eat honey, you can easily leave that ingredient out.
I hope you enjoy it.
Jennifer
simply replace the honey with agave, if desired.
I would have never thought of putting avocados and broccoli together, but it is actually really good!!! Makes a nice creamy sauce. Tinkyada pasta is my favorite pasta too. It has a really good texture.
What type of white beans do you use?
Hi Barbara,
I use Great Northern beans because they are a mild-flavored bean, but I think navy beans would probably work too.
Just made this for dinner
It was so devine! My kids even loved it
I will also be using this sauce as a dip for raw vegys! It’s that good!!!
Hi Rheanon,
Thank you for your comment. I’m really happy you liked it. And thank you for the idea to use it as a dip. That sounds great!
Tried this . I used garbanzo beans as I didn’t have white beans. Didn’t add honey. Added black pepper. Used pasta water instead of water and added more pasta water as I wanted some liquid. Came out quite good . Addictive. Can be used as sauce or dip as well.
I haven’t tried this yet but looks yummy! I’m assuming this is for four people?
Yes, it is meant to serve 4 people.
(But it can serve more or less depending on if there are other dishes served with the meal.)
This was very good. My husband just started to enjoy avocados so I was a bit worried and even left the sauce on the side. To my surprise he piled on top and went back for seconds. Thanks for sharing your creativity!
That’s awesome! So good to hear. Thanks for your comment, Kathy.