Avocados would be on the short list of foods I can’t live without.  We love them every way.  Blended into smoothies, chopped into a salad, topped with a poached egg, in guacamole of course, I’ve even blended it into brownies.  Ok, truth, those didn’t go over well.  I’m still working on that one. In this recipe for spaghetti with avocado sauce,we elevate the every day pasta sauce to a chorus of wow, this is good Mom, what did you do to this, can I have more? This smooth creamy sauce is packed with flavor.  The hint of lemon, scallions and fresh parsley brighten the flavor making it fresh and zingy! Is that a word? It is now. 

We live a long way from the land of fresh picked avacados. When I buy avocados it’s very frustrating to pay the high price only to get it home to find it bruised and black inside.

If you are wondering how to pick a perfect avocado, this tip comes from Erica, a Seattle-based food and gardening blogger will help. Her website, Northwest Edible Life, is a popular food and urban homesteading hub and worth checking out for helpful information on growing, cooking, and preserving food.

To make sure you’re taking home an avocado that’s perfectly green and creamy on the inside, and free from ugly brown spots, the key is checking under the stem. This part of the avocado holds a sneak peak for what’s going on under the skin. 

Peel back the small stem or cap at the top of the avocado. If it comes away easily and you find green underneath, you’ve got a good avocado that’s ripe and ready to eat. That’s the kind of fruit you want to take home with you.

On the other hand, if you pull back the stem and find brown underneath, the avocado is overripe, and you’re likely to find brown spots inside the fruit. And, if the stem doesn’t come off, the fruit is not yet ripe enough to eat.

Read Erica’s post: Never Buy a Rotten Avocado Again at Northwest Edible Life

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Start to Finish: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 12 ounces spaghetti
• 2 avocados–halved,pitted and peeled
• 1 garlic clove, smashed
• 1 bunch scallions,
• roughly chopped Juice of 1 lemon
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ½ cup chopped parsley, for garnish
• Parmesan cheese for garnish, optional

Directions

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook until al dente, 6 to 8 minutes.
• While the pasta cooks, make the sauce: In the bowl of a food processor or vita mix, pulse the avocados, garlic, scallions, lemon juice and olive oil until smooth.
• When the pasta is tender, reserve ½ cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta. Add the reserved water to the avocado mixture and process until smooth.
• Add the sauce to the pasta and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. To serve, portion the pasta onto plates and garnish with parsley.

Enjoy!