Tagliatelle with Basil Pesto, Avocado, Sundried Tomatoes, Salmon, and Shiitakes

Have you ever tried using avocado as a creamy dressing for pasta? It’s a really easy way to dazzle your sassy strands of tagliatelle! The pasta I used in this dish, I found in London at the absolutely fabulous, Planet Organic grocery store. I have been searching for a gluten free tagliatelle or fettuccine noodle for AGES…. and to no avail. I purchased a couple of boxes of these Seggiano noodles to bring back to Amsterdam, and they did not disappoint. I am in the process of going through my local organic shop, to see if they can import them to The Netherlands.

This recipe is quick, full of heart healthy fats in the avocado and salmon, loaded with anti-aging and cholesterol fighting shiitakes, and brimming with flavour in the garlic-laden pesto sauce. What I like most about this recipe is that you can add or take away ingredients depending on your taste, and what you have on hand. With avocado as the base, the other layers of flavour are up to you! If you don’t eat fish, leave out the salmon. If you’ve got some asparagus or frozen peas on hand, add them to the dish. If you’d like a little more texture, toss on a handful of toasted pine nuts for crunch. As you can see, this is a very versatile recipe! The quantities here, serve two.

Ingredients for Tagliatelle with Basil Pesto, Avocado, Sundried Tomatoes, Salmon, and Shiitakes:

  • 1 ripe avocado
  • ⅓ cup basil pesto sauce (store bought, or, make your own)
  • 2-3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup chopped sundried tomatoes
  • 150 grams smoked salmon, torn into bite-size bits
  • 200 grams shiitake mushrooms, cleaned, sliced, and sautéed
  • 1 Tbsp light olive oil
  • 1 green onion, sliced into .5 cm bits
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 250 +/- grams of your favourite pasta

Directions:

  1. Place the flesh of the avocado into a small food processor, along with the pesto and olive oil. Buzz that around for 15-20 seconds, until you reach a smooth consistency. Take a look inside and see if the mixture is fluid enough to mix through your dish. It should be the consistency of runny yogurt, if it’s not, add a bit more olive oil (you can also add a dash of water to thin it out.)
  2. Place the chopped sundried tomatoes and the salmon in a serving bowl large enough to also hold the cooked pasta. Clean and slice the mushrooms and lightly sautée these in light olive oil for about 5 minutes, stirring often. When the mushrooms are soft, add these to the bowl with the sundried tomatoes and salmon.
  3. While the mushrooms are cooking, boil water and cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. When the pasta is ready, drain and add it to the serving bowl, then drizzle the avocado and pesto mixture over top, and toss this all together to coat the pasta. Serve this up in a bowl with a good crack of pepper and a sprinkle of fresh green onion.

4 Comments

  1. Looks terrific! We’re having this dish or supper very soon indeed. We’d make it tonight but for the want of the sun dried tomatoes ?. GF pasta is increasingly easy to find here in little London. Thank you, WTK!

    • Jennifer

      Hello, friend! Thanks so much for letting me know this may soon be on your menu. I would love to hear how it turns out. GF pasta has come a long way in the past little while. I do like experimenting with the latest options. Happy cooking 🙂

  2. Shelia Kappler

    Jenn, thanks so much for, as T calls them, this “culinary nuiance” which was this evening’s dinner. It’s delicious, and we enjoyed it thoroughly. Such a blend of bursting big flavours.
    Next time, and there WILL be a next time, I think I’ll use a bit less pesto. We had store bought and I think I was a tad heavy handed. And more mushrooms, but just because I love them. Perhaps a bit of hot pepper?
    We are eating very little meat these days, and lots of fish, but this smoked salmon as an ingredient was not in our typical line up. So we’re gratful for that too.
    Tonight, for sure, we ate good food!

  3. Thanks For Sharing this amazing recipe. My family loved it. I will be sharing this recipe with my friends. Hope the will like it.

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