Pasta Salad w/ Blue Cheese, Lemon, & Avocado
I have to admit that I haven't felt inspired to cook in a little while. The problem with not feeling culinarily stimulated, though, is that you still actually have to eat. And for me, that oftentimes means that I'm too busy and work too long of hours to go out. After all, when you work in the culinary industry, you make everyone else's date night happen. It's a little bit more difficult to have a night out on the town when all of your nights out are for your job. I tend to be the kind of person who'll spend all day cooking for other people and then go home and cook some more, just for myself. But I'm only human, just like the rest of people, and I get burned out on making my own food, too. One of my go-to things when I don't feel like doing it either, is pasta salad. There are a couple of ingredients that I always tend to have on hand to toss into dishes just like this. So, today I have Pasta Salad w/ Blue Cheese, Lemon, & Avocado.
Gallery
Variations of Avocado Pasta Salad
For as much pasta as I make, I don't make all that much pasta salad. Although it is a great dish to throw together on the run. Especially when you want something chilled. There's nothing better on a hot summer day or at a potluck with your friends and family. It's also a great dish to make ahead of time that doesn't require any fuss, muss, or oven space. I have a tendency to just grab anything and everything extra in my refrigerator as well. Pasta salad is a great way to utilize produce that you don't know what else to do with.
Pasta Salad w/ Blue Cheese, Lemon, & Avocado
Equipment
- Large Pot
- Stovetop
Ingredients
- 1 lbs. pasta (shape of choice, I used fusilli)
- 1 tomato diced
- 1 lemon juiced
- splash olive oil
- dash salt
- dash pepper
- 1 avocado diced
- 6 oz. blue cheese crumbled
Instructions
Cook Pasta
- Add about 4 inches of water to a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat.
- You can also make the pasta ahead of time. The salmon will need to rest and the pasta will need to chill before serving. Although the exact order that you do that in can vary!
- Cook pasta according to the manufacturer's instructions. This typically entails boiling for about 8-12 minutes, or until al dente.
- Remove from heat and chill in the refrigerator.
Assemble Salad
- Mix together pasta, produce, a splash of olive oil and lemon juice, and a dash of salt and pepper.Exactly how much olive oil and lemon juice you use is a personal preference. You're just looking for a light coating on the pasta to keep everything from sticking together and add just a little bit of flavor. I tend to eyeball it because the exact amount will vary depending on how cooked the pasta is and how much produce you add in.
- Serve immediately or chill in the refrigerator. Pasta salad is a great dish to make ahead of time. Just make sure to add the avocado and cheese right before serving. They don't sit quite as well coated in olive oil and is best served fresh!
Leave a Reply