Avocado Penne Pesto

Dear Guacamole,

We've had a lot of good times together, too many to count. Although I love you dearly, I feel that it's time we start seeing other people. It's not you, it's me. I'll miss you on Cinco de Mayo. I'll be in Italy.

Sincerely,

Avocado

We decided to help Avocado out and try it Italian style as a pesto sauce. There were rave reviews all around! Gourmet Dad liked it better than traditional pesto! The avocado brings a creaminess and delicious flavor to the sauce and also adds almost 20 extra nutrients. Bravo!

Avocado Penne Pesto with Grilled Chicken
Ingredients:
1 medium ripe avocado
3/4 c. firmly packed basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
3 Tbsp. pine nuts
1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil
1/3 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
12 oz. penne pasta
1/4 c. shaved parmesan cheese (for garish)
1 1/2 lbs. chicken breasts
Salt & Pepper, to taste (for chicken)

Directions:
Cook and drain pasta according to package directions. While pasta is cooking, season chicken with salt and pepper and place on a grill (or grill pan) over medium-high heat for 6 minutes on each side, until center is no longer pink. You can add other spices if you want, but don't over-season your chicken, we want the avocado to shine! Peel avocado and remove pit. Put avocado, basil, salt, pepper, garlic and pine nuts in a blender or food processor. Turn blender on and add olive oil in a slow, steady stream. Process until mixture becomes a smooth paste. Gently fold in parmesan cheese. Toss with cooked pasta. Slice grilled chicken breasts and lay across top of pasta. Garnish with shaved parmesan cheese and serve.
I created this recipe for the Adaptable Avocado Recipe Challenge. You can go here to join in on the fun!