Avocados are pretty much one of my favorite things ever! They are healthy, rich and creamy! I add them to salads, spread them on crackers and eat avocado toast for breakfast at least a few times every week! I’ve been making Avocado Dressing & Dip forever… avocado is so velvety, it makes a perfect base for a dressing in place of mayonnaise! With summer here, I love meals that don’t require turning the oven on and cold pasta salads fit the bill perfectly. They can be prepped ahead of time and are the perfect well rounded meal (often with protein and veggies) and great feed the kids before we run out the door to soccer practice! Even better, the leftovers are always yummy meaning lunch tomorrow is already done if we’re lucky enough to have some left!
This recipe marries my favorite avocado based dressing with the same ingredients I top my avocado toast with for the perfect flavor combination! Juicy ripe tomatoes, crisp smoky bacon, fresh cilantro, a hint of green onion and deliciously creamy diced avocados! The very best part of this recipe is the luscious avocado dressing… full of flavor and silky smooth! To make this a main dish we sometimes add chopped grilled or rotisserie chicken. Avocados have a rich and creamy texture because they contain monounsaturated fat which is a good fat and can help lower cholesterol when eaten in moderation of course!
Avocado Tips
Placing avocados in a paper bag with ripe bananas will help them ripen faster. (Due to the ethylene gas naturally released from the bananas). Once ripe, avocados will keep in the fridge for 4-6 days. When storing a cut avocado, brush the open edge with lemon or lime juice and wrap in plastic before refrigerating. This will help keep avocado from browning as quickly. If you have too many ripe avocados, they can easily be frozen. Scoop out the green flesh and 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice per avocado. Puree in a blender or food processor and freeze in a freezer bag. Defrosted avocado is great in this recipe or for guacamole! The fats in avocados are great for your skin. Rub the empty peels on your elbows or heels before tossing to soak in some of the benefits of this delicious fruit!
Like most pasta salads, I generally make this a few hours before serving. If you find the avocado dressing thickens too much add a little bit of buttermilk and give it a quick stir before serving. Although I enjoy the leftovers of this pasta salad for a couple of days, due to the nature of the avocados, this pasta salad is best made on the day it is served.
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