Pasta with Asparagus & Avocado-Pea Vine Cream Sauce
Yield
Yield: 4 Servings
Ingredients
8 oz small pasta (e.g., orecchiette, macaroni, fusilli, etc.)
1 bunch pea vine
1 stalk green garlic, chopped finely
1 medium ripe avocado
¼ cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
½ tsp salt plus more to taste
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 pound asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3-4 green onions (1 cup thinly sliced)
2 cups fresh baby spinach or arugula
Freshly grated Parmesan, for serving
Instructions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain the pasta and set aside.
While the pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce. Cut the bottom one inch off the pea vine stems. Finely chop the pea vine, leaves and stem. Place the pea vine and chopped green garlic in a food processor or blender. Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit and scoop the flesh out of the skin. Add it to the food processor along with yogurt, lemon juice, ½ tsp salt and ground black pepper. Process on high for 20-30 seconds. Stop and scrape down the bowl. Continue to process until the mixture is well combined. It will be very creamy, but not completely smooth.
Once the pasta is cooked and the sauce is made, heat olive oil in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add the green onion and sauté briefly until softened. Add the asparagus and sauté for several minutes, stirring periodically, until the asparagus is bright green and cooked al dente (tender but still a little crunchy).
Add the baby spinach along with a few tablespoons of the pasta water. Cover the pan and steam just until the spinach is wilted, 1-2 minutes. Remove the lid and add the cooked pasta and the sauce to the pan. Stir to combine. Add additional pasta water if the sauce is too thick, or simmer for a few minutes if the sauce is too thin. Once warmed through, taste and adjust the seasoning with additional lemon juice, salt and pepper as needed.
