This is one of the first recipes I ever copied down when I started writing recipes into a notebook – which means that it’s a very old recipe indeed. My notes say that I got it from the Theodora Fitzgibbon column in the Irish Times back in the day. I think my Mother knew her slightly, or at least had met her at some time. Whatever the story, Mum was a great fan of Theodora’s and tried a lot of her recipes.
Give this one a go; it feeds about 6 as a starter, or 4 for lunch. Another great thing about this dish is that it’s ready in about 10 minutes, start to finish, once you’ve made it once.
August 2018: By pure coincidence, our daughter dished this up for a quick Saturday lunch for us today – she adds garlic which definitely improves it, so I’m amending the recipe to reflect that. It’s also the most gorgeous shade of pale green, which makes it look so attractive..
EQUIPMENT:
- A large cooking pot for the pasta
- A smaller saucepan for the avocado
- A food processor – not essential
- Warmed pasta bowls
- Grater for the Parmesan
INGREDIENTS: Feeds 4 for lunch, or 6 as a starter
- A portion of pasta per person – we used spaghetti today, but Linguine or tagliatelle would be equally suitable.
- 2 large, ripe avocado pears, cut in half, and flesh removed
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped or grated
- 1 large lemon
- olive oil – 1 tablespoon.
- salt, pepper
- A little butter
- freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 25-30g) plus more to serve.
METHOD:
- Put your pasta plates into the warming oven.
- Fill the large saucepan with boiling water; add some sea salt.
- Put the pasta on to cook, checking the pack for cooking times.
- Peel and roughly chop the avocados, and sprinkle with the juice of half the lemon. Then either mash them well with a fork, or put into the food processor and give them a whizz until they’re completely smooth.
- Heat the oil in the smaller pan, then add the garlic and stir fry it for about 2 minutes. Don’t let it brown.
- Add the mashed avocado, and allow it to heat up gently without browning.
- When it has heated through, remove it from the heat, check the seasoning, then add the remaining lemon juice if required. (taste it and see)
- Drain the pasta, saving some of the pasta water, and return it to the warm pot straightaway.
- Add the avocado and a knob of butter, stir it through gently, and add half the grated Parmesan. If you think it’s too dry (it shouldn’t be) add a tablespoonful of the pasta water until it reaches the consistency you want.
- Serve immediately in the warmed plates with the rest of the cheese
NOTES:
- If you want an extra rich and creamy sauce, add a large spoonful of Mascarpone to the final result and fold through.
- Be sure to scrap out all the flesh nearest the skin of the avocado – this will give you that glorious green shade..
- This is a really quick and easy lunch, so once you’ve made it once, you’ll be able to rattle it off to impress your pals!
I started writing down recipes in an old copybook when I was about 16. With 6 children at home, my Mother was always glad of a hand in the kitchen, and really allowed us to experiment - as long as we washed up afterwards, and left the kitchen immaculate! Having a tidy kitchen has followed me through my life, as has the habit of writing down my favourite recipes; except that these days I write them for my website, and add photographs when I can. The website really started when it occurred to me that my daughter might like to have these recipes when I've forgotten them. In my early days of cooking for family and friends, I used to phone my Mum all the time to ask her for the recipe for some of our favourite family dinners. She rarely had a recipe to hand - I think, like me, she made a lot of it up as she went along.. So welcome to Eating for Ireland - these are the recipes that my friends and family having been eating these past 40 years.. yes, I truly am ancient! They are tried and tested, and have worked for me for all that time - I have updated them as new ingredients became available - I really hope you'll find something that you can make into a family favourite of your own. You don't have to tell anyone where you found these great new dishes that you're serving up - it can be our little secret, but I'd really love it if you could give me a sneaky 'follow' on Facebook and Instagram.. So off you go - have a good rummage around, you're bound to find something new! My sincere thanks to all of you who have found a recipe that you liked and dropped me a line to tell me - I really do love to hear from you! Happy Cooking! Becks xx