Avocado tagliatelle with zesty walnut crunch

Avocado, ricotta and basil make an easy, creamy sauce for pasta. Top with zesty, crunchy walnuts for a quick, gorgeous but simple dinner.

This is such a simple but elegant dinner. It feels fancy, so could be served at a dinner party, but is quick and easy enough to whip up for a weeknight dinner. You only need 7 ingredients and 15 minutes to make it.

I don’t know why avocado isn’t used more in sauces. I love using it for pasta sauces; it’s so creamy, without being heavy, and has a gorgeous texture. Here it’s blended with ricotta cheese which is also creamy but light, alongside fresh basil and lemon to lift it all up.

The walnut topping might just be the best bit though, and would be delicious on many pasta dishes. It’s simply toasted walnuts, lemon zest and extra virgin olive oil.

Enjoy 💚

You’ll need (serves 2):

• 150-200g pasta, depending on appetite, I went for tagliatelle

• 1 ripe avocado

• 250g ricotta cheese

• 20g basil leaves

• 1 small lemon

• 40g walnuts

• Extra virgin olive oil

Cook the pasta according to packet instructions.

Zest the lemon and add to a small bowl; if your lemon is quite big, you won’t need to zest it all.

Roughly chop the walnuts and toast in a dry frying pan. This step is optional, but I highly recommend toasting the nuts for the best flavour and crunch. Add to the bowl with the lemon zest, add a little olive oil, about 1 tbsp, and a pinch of salt. Mix well.

In a food processor, blend the ricotta, avocado flesh, basil and juice of the lemon. You might need to add a couple of tablespoons of water to blend it properly - you want a mayonnaise kind of consistency.

When the pasta is done, pour out most of the water, leaving a little at the bottom. Return to the hob, on a low heat, and add the avocado sauce and mix. Season with salt and pepper, taste, and adjust seasoning.

Serve the pasta with the lemony walnut topping. Dig in.