This is a pasta salad no one can stop eating!
Officially my (current) favourite avocado recipe!!
!Bonus: stays green for days!
Proof of creamy!
That Creamy Avocado Ranch Dressing…..
This recipe is all about the creamy avocado ranch dressing.
It is Great with a capital G. Regular readers know when I capitalise, I mean it!
Its not just about making a dressing thats traditionally made with loads of mayonnaise healthier.
This is about making an avocado-forward salad into a big, juicy pasta salad.
Sure, wecouldjust throw chunks of avocado in and call it a day.
Proof of creamy!
Win, win, win!
I do use a bit of mayonnaise.
But just 1/3 cup compared to 2 1/2 cups of other stuff in the dressing.
Customise it as you wish!!
Ingredients for Avocado Pasta Salad
Heres what goes in this avocado pasta salad.
Firstly the creamy avocado dressing!
Avocado Ranch Dressing
Heres what you need for the avocado ranch dressing.
Sometimes its made with dried herbs but fresh is so much better.
You see versions made with different types of herbs dill, coriander/cilantro, mint, chives and parsley.
For me, theres no question dill is the best with avocado.
So thats what Ive gone for!
Because, irritatingly, avocados dont all grow exactly the same size.Ridiculous,right??
So theres no need to get it especially for this recipe!
Mayonnaise (just a bit!)
Because it adds a more luxurious mouthfeel to the dressing which really makes itso, sogood!
Feel free to skip it just substitute with sour cream or yogurt.
The bright freshness really adds a special touch to this dressing.
However, if you dont have (or dont like??)
dill, coriander/cilantro or chives make excellent alternatives.
Dill is just my personal preference.
Lemon juice For a much needed balance of tang plus also it keeps the avocado dressinggreen!
Garlic Traditional ranch dressing typically uses dried garlic powder which adds a sort of earthy garlic flavour.
For this avocado version, I preferred fresh garlic.
Try not to skip it!
The add-ins
Remember what I mentioned above: you’re free to dial it back or substitute.
This recipe is all about the dressing!
), or chop/shred leftovers from a store bought orhomemade roast chicken.
Eggs Hard-boiled (9 minutes).
Extra protein as well as lovely pops of colour!
Celery For a touch of fresh crunch, reminiscent of classic creamyMacaroni Salad.
Highly recommended for a touch of texture.
Bacon Do I need to do any convincing here to include this in your pasta salad??
It really does give this pasta salad that special touch that makes it memorable.
Cherry tomatoes Lovely pops of juiciness and colour.
Dont forgetpasta, like I almost did!!
Ive gone for spirals here but feel free to use your shape of choice.
Prevent screen from sleeping
Penne, ziti, macaroni/elbow pasta, bow ties, rigatoni.
Scoop out flesh Scoop out the flesh of the avocado using a spoon.
Measure Then smush it into cups to measure out 1 1/3 cups.
Because you got lovely ripe avocados, this should be effortless!
Were measuring the avocado flesh to ensure we use the right amount.
Because avocados are not all the same size soooannoying!
then blitz until smooth.
Its quick maybe 10 seconds?
Feel free to use a food processor instead, just scrape down the sides as needed.
Creamy dressing Stick your finger in and have a taste of your lovely creamy Avocado Ranch Dressing!
Also use this as a chance to tweak the flavour if you want.
I opted to cook the chicken in the oven because I can cook the bacon at the same time.
And no stove splatter!
Poundthe chicken using a meat mallet or rolling pin to 1.5cm / 2 cm even thickness.
Season Drizzle with oil then sprinkle with paprika, salt and pepper on both sides.
Bakefor 12 minutes at 220C/430F (200C fan-forced) or until the internal temperature reaches 67C / 153F.
Cut Rest for 5 minutes then slice.
Bonus: no stove splatter to deal with.
Rack on tray Lay the bacon on a rack set over a tray.
Bakefor 20 minutes until golden and pretty crispy.
The bacon will get crispier as it cools.
Boiled eggs
For pasta salads, I like to use eggs which have yolks that are soft set ie.
Heres how I do it:
Fridge-cold eggs in boiling water Bring the water to a full boil.
Then carefully lower fridge-cold eggs into the water using a slotted spoon.
If you rapid boil, the shells will crack!
9 minutesStart the timer and cook for 9 minutes.
Leave for 5 minutes or so until cool enough to handle then peel IN the water.
Everything prepared, now the best part: tossing it all together.
(Wait thats totally wrong, the best part is EATING it!).
I emphasise BIG bowl for good reason).
Add eggsat the end then gently toss just to disperse.
And we are DONE!
And just think it keeps so well, you get to enjoy this for days and days!!
Ive eaten so much of this in the past couple of weeks.
It makes so much!
And true to its name I CANT STOP EATING IT.
I really hope you try it.
In the vast world of pasta salads, this is definitely a stand out!
