How’s your January detox going? Craving some pasta right about now? This outrageously flavourful and filling dish has got you covered! What makes a “detox pasta” you ask? It’s full of simple, fresh, nourishing ingredients and free of foods that commonly cause irritation such as dairy, gluten, sugar, and meat. This pasta is not only delicious, it is bursting with fertility-friendly qualities like monounsaturated fats to lower inflammation, high fiber to support blood sugar regulation, vitamins C & E for antioxidant action, and folate to support a healthy pregnancy.
For the Avocado Basil Sauce:
3 ripe avocados
Juice of 1 lemon
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ cup (approx.) fresh basil leaves, chopped fine
½ cup (approx.) hot water from cooking the noodles, to thin out the sauce
Pinch sea salt & fresh ground pepper
For the Sautéed Vegetable topping:
1 Tablespoon coconut oil
1 yellow onion, diced
1 lb. (approx.) crimini or shitake mushrooms, washed & chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
½ bunch spinach, washed & roughly chopped
Pinch sea salt & fresh ground pepper Optional: garnish with hemp seeds or sesame seeds
For the noodles:
I used half a package of quinoa rotini noodles. But any gluten-free short pasta will do. Brown rice noodles are a nice option.
Directions:
For a super creamy sauce, whirl all the sauce ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth. If you can’t be bothered to clean a blender (like me!), just mash the avocados & lemon with a fork until smooth, and then mix in the remainder of the ingredients.
Get the water boiling for the noodles at the same time as you start to sauté the veggies. Heat coconut oil over medium heat and sauté the onion until translucent. Add mushrooms and stir until they begin to soften. Then, space the mushrooms out in the pan and DON’T STIR for about 5 minutes. This browns the mushrooms and brings out a nice smoky flavour. Add red bell pepper and sauté for a couple minutes before stirring in the spinach, salt & pepper for just a minute or 2. Until the spinach wilts.
Once noodles are cooked according to the package directions, place them back in the pot and gently toss with the avocado sauce. Portion into bowls and top with the sautéed veggies, sprinkling with hemp or sesame seeds.