Avocado, Lemon and Spinach Linguine

This recipe was inspired by my friend Jason, who was recently soliloquizing on the virtues of serving pasta with avocado, with the addition of lemon and spinach. This is my version, and I have added basil, which adds a welcome piquancy. The importance with this recipe is to work fast, you can make the sauce while the pasta is cooking, and after the sauce is added to the pasta it needs to be served instantly, otherwise the avocado will cook, which is rather unpleasant.

To start put your pasta on to cook in boiling salted water. Peel and slice the avocado and place it in the blender, add a large glug of extra virgin olive oil, and a clove of garlic. Blitz with a small dash of salt and the juice of half a lemon. Add the leaves of a large sprig of basil and blitz again, check the seasoning, you may need to add more salt.

When the pasta is cooked, drain it and return it to the pan off the heat, and add a few handfuls of baby spinach leaves, stir until the spinach has wilted and then add the sauce, stirring quickly to combine. Grate over some lemon zest and serve.

ingredients

300g linguine
1 avocado
1 clove garlic
2 tbsps olive oil
1/2 lemon
50g spinach
large sprig basil