Shrimp Avocado Pasta : Fettuccine with Avocado Cashew Cream Sauce

Three words: Shrimp Avocado Pasta! This tasty, creamy avocado cashew sauce dresses up comforting shrimp fettucine in a dish that's simple to make in 30 minutes or less, if you do a little prep ahead of time!

Shrimp pasta is one of the absolute favorite, go-to meals. We make it often for one of the #FastLunch meals while We'm working from home because it's so quick and simple to whip up, and helps fuel me up for busy work days. It's also inexpensive, and versatile; We love experimenting with different flavor combinations of sauces to keep things interesting.

Lately, We've been on an avocado kick. They're so fresh and ripe in stores right now! We actually had four pieces of avocado toast in one sitting the other day… not the proudest moment, but a yummy moment for sure!

We also love cream sauces with shrimp pasta dishes, but since We can no longer have heavy cream (probably for the best!, shouts the love handles) We have been getting creative with different creamy non-dairy sauces. Enter the Shrimp Avocado Pasta.

Cashew cream has become a favorite of mine to use in pasta dishes, as a veggie dip, and even on sandwiches. We try to keep a mason jar in the fridge, but We have found that you can soak cashews for as little as 30 minutes and drain, and the cashews are soft enough to pulse in a food processor for a creamy sauce. Combined with avocados, you get a super rich, creamy, slightly nutty sauce without the added fat and calories of the traditional heavy cream. Trust me: you won't miss it!

While the avocado and cashew adds a tasty creamy texture to this fast shrimp pasta dish, the lemon and dill add brightness.

Sprinkle a little grated parmesan cheese on top (or, shredded dairy-free cheese if you are dairy-free!). We also like to chop up extra avocado and extra chopped dill sprigs to sprinkle on top.

A note on pasta servings: one serving of pasta is typically considered to be two ounces of dry pasta, or one cup of cooked pasta. Honestly, pasta is one of those things We always eyeball. But if you're a stickler for serving sizes, the kitchn has a great guide to follow.

Shrimp Avocado Pasta: Fettucine with Avocado Cashew Cream Sauce

By Marlynn Schotland Prep Time: 5 mins Cook Time: 20 mins Total Time: 25 mins Servings: 2

Ingredients

• 2 servings fettuccine, 4 ounces uncooked, 2 cups cooked
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• 2 avocados, pitted, and peeled
• 1/2 cup unsalted cashews, soaked and drained
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped dill
• dash of salt and pepper to taste
• Optional: additional small chunks of cut avocado, grated parmesan cheese, more salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Soak cashews in a large bowl covered with water for at least 30 minutes, then drain and set aside.
• Cook pasta according to package directions.
• While the pasta is cooking, heat one tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet. Add shrimp and sauté until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Shrimp will be pink and opaque when it's done. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Add garlic, avocados, cashews, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, dill, and dash of salt and pepper to a food processor. Pulse until ingredients are well mixed and the sauce is smooth.
• Drain pasta, reserving 2-3 tablespoons of the water.
• Combine avocado cashew cream sauce, pasta, reserved water, and shrimp in a large bowl and toss gently until the pasta is coated with the sauce.
• Optional: top with grated parmesan cheese, small pieces of additional cut avocado, and/or salt and pepper to taste.

Nutrition

Calories: 792 kcal, Carbohydrates: 29 g, Protein: 33 g, Fat: 65 g, Saturated Fat: 10 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 9 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 43 g, Trans Fat: 0.01 g, Cholesterol: 183 mg, Sodium: 154 mg, Potassium: 1510 mg, Fiber: 15 g, Sugar: 3 g, Vitamin A: 297 IU, Vitamin C: 25 mg, Calcium: 116 mg, Iron: 4 mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

What's your favorite type of pasta dish?