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Vibrantly green and irresistibly creamy avocado pasta, finished off with roasted garlic and tomatoes! Whip up this quick, easy, and healthy dinner recipe in under 20 minutes. Perfect when you’re short on time and/or craving something comforting and delicious.

close-up image of avocado pasta with roasted garlic and tomatoes on a plate

What You’ll Need To Make Avocado Pasta

Avocado – LOL, duh! Pick up two perfectly ripe avocados for this plant-based recipe. To know whether your avocados are ripe or not, give them a gentle squeeze. If the skin gives a tiny bit then they’re ready to eat! Though if your avocados feel hard as rocks, leave them out at room temperature for another day or two until ripe. I almost always buy a big bag of avocados while at the store, and use leftovers to make avocado toast in the morning – yum!

Fresh Herbs – Feel free to use any fresh herbs you’d like, or have on-hand! I used a combo of fresh basil and fresh parsley, which made for a perfectly fresh-tasting sauce. However, a bunch of fresh cilantro would taste equally as delicious.

Garlic – Plenty of garlic is necessary for this avocado pasta recipe! We pretty much use an entire garlic bulb between the roasted garlic and tomatoes, and the avocado sauce. When roasted, garlic releases intense flavor which is straight up heavenly. I could eat roasted garlic all by itself, it’s that good! Together with the tomatoes, olive oil, and a little bit of salt and pepper – the roasted garlic in this recipe is to-die-for.

overhead image of avocado pasta on two plate

Tips and Tricks

  • Use any pasta shape you’d like! I used bow-ties since they’re what I had, but shape truly makes no difference here. I can imagine this avocado pasta tastes just as delicious with spaghetti, penne, fusilli, elbows, etc.
  • Remember to reserve half a cup of pasta water! This pasta water will be added back into the pasta, after you’ve strained it, and added the avocado sauce in. The starches from the reserved water help your sauce latch onto the pasta.
  • Typically served hot, this pasta can also be served cold as an avocado pasta salad. For a cold pasta dish, cook up everything the same. Then, cover and leave to chill for about an hour before serving.

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

Make it Gluten-Free: This pasta is easily made gluten-free with the use of your favorite gluten-free pasta. Now my personal favorite gluten-free pasta is Jovial’s Brown Rice pasta, and is actually exactly what I used in the photos here!

Make it Paleo/Grain-Free: For a paleo pasta, simply use zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash in place of the pasta in this dinner recipe.

Avocado Pasta with Roasted Garlic and Tomatoes

0 from 0 votes
Recipe by Samantha Course: MainDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

15

minutes
Total time

20

minutes

Vibrantly green and irresistibly creamy avocado pasta, finished off with roasted garlic and tomatoes! Whip up this quick, easy, and healthy dinner recipe in under 20 minutes. Perfect when you’re short on time and/or craving something comforting and delicious.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound pasta, uncooked

  • For the roasted garlic and tomatoes:
  • 1 pint grape tomatoes

  • 6-8 garlic cloves, sliced

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • salt and black pepper, to taste

  • For the avocado sauce:
  • 2 ripe avocados, peeled and pits removed

  • 1/2 cup fresh basil, parsley, and/or cilantro

  • 1/4 cup olive oil

  • 2 garlic cloves

  • 1 lemon, juiced

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 400° Fahrenheit. Make the roasted garlic and tomatoes by placing tomatoes and sliced garlic on a baking sheet, then drizzling with olive oil and seasoning with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes or until soft and very fragrant.
  • While garlic and tomatoes roast, cook pasta in a large pot of salted water until al dente and reserve ½ cup pasta water.
  • While pasta cooks, add all avocado sauce ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.
  • Once pasta is cooked, strain then add back into pot along with avocado sauce and reserved pasta water. Toss pasta in sauce before adding in roasted garlic and tomatoes, serve immediately.

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These burrito bowls are absolutely loaded with flavor! Homemade pico de gallo, fresh guacamole, and a smoky chipotle cashew cream make this recipe better than any burrito bowl you’ve ever had (Chipotle, I’m looking at you!). Super easy to throw together, prep this recipe early in the week and enjoy it all week long as a quick grab-and-go lunch or dinner option.

Loaded burrito bowls with a side of pico de gallo, fresh limes, and beer.

I, like you, love a good takeout burrito bowl. But you know who doesn’t love it?? My stomach. Oh, and my bank account. It took me a few years of pain and suffering to realize that I could EASILY make those bowls myself. Similar to how I’d order my burrito bowls, I went down the line of all the best toppings and developed a recipe for each one. Though I went a little rogue with the chipotle cashew cream in this recipe. When I stopped eating dairy, I deeply missed the cheese in my burrito bowls. Chipotle cashew cream quickly became the solution to my problem. It’s deliciously smoky, slightly spicy, and offers that cheesy flavor I longed for. And honestly, I feel like I can now confidently say that these burrito bowls are BETTER than anything you’d order at a restaurant.

What You Need To Make Burrito Bowls

Ground Beef Goodbye mystery meat, hello perfectly seasoned homemade ground beef with just a few simple ingredients. I keep things simple by using a packet of taco seasoning for the beef in this recipe. If ground beef isn’t your thing, feel free to use ground turkey instead. Pulled chicken would also taste delicious, get creative with the protein – make this recipe your own.

Grape Tomatoes – This comes down to personal preference. I love the sweet taste of grape tomatoes, and that’s why I use them in this recipe. Though you can definitely use whatever kind of tomatoes you’d like.

Cilantro – OK, I know cilantro can be pretty controversial. I personally find cilantro delicious and that’s why I use a ton of it in this recipe. Though if you have that gene mutation that makes cilantro taste all funky to you, feel free to leave it out!

Lime Juice – I suggest stocking up on limes for this recipe. Fresh-squeezed lime juice is always best and definitely goes a long way in these burrito bowls. And if you have any leftover limes, slice them into wedges and squeeze them over your completed bowl – YUM!

Chipotle in Adobo – Start conservatively with just one chipotle in your chipotle cashew cream. Give things a taste once you blend it and then add more as you’d like! One chipotle is enough to give the cream that delicious smoky flavor, while contributing little to no spice. Though if you’re a spice-lover like me, you’ll probably end up using two or three chipotles in the cashew cream.

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

  • Make it Vegan/Vegetarian: Use either tofu or your favorite ground meat substitute in place of the ground beef in this recipe.
  • Make it Paleo: Use cauliflower rice instead of regular rice, and swap out the black beans for additional meat or roasted sweet potatoes.
  • Add Dairy: Top your burrito bowls off with some shredded Mexican cheese! You can also use 1 cup of sour cream in place of the cashews, water, and olive oil in the chipotle cashew cream recipe.

Burrito Bowls (GF/DF)

0 from 0 votes
Recipe by Samantha Russo Course: MainCuisine: MexicanDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

15

minutes
Cooking time

15

minutes
Total time

30

minutes

These burrito bowls are absolutely loaded with flavor! Homemade pico de gallo, fresh guacamole, and a smoky chipotle cashew cream make this recipe better than any burrito bowl you’ve ever had (Chipotle, I’m looking at you!). Super easy to throw together, prep this recipe early in the week and enjoy it all week long as a quick grab-and-go lunch or dinner option.

Ingredients

  • For the bowls:
  • 1 Cup Uncooked Rice, see Notes

  • 1 Pound Ground Beef, see Notes

  • 1 Packet Taco Seasoning

  • 1 (15-Ounce) Can Black Beans

  • 3 Cups Shredded Romaine Lettuce, see Notes

  • For the pico de gallo:
  • 1 Cup Grape Tomatoes, sliced

  • 1/2 White Onion, finely chopped

  • 1 Small Jalapeño, ribs and seeds removed, finely chopped

  • 2 Tablespoons Lime Juice

  • 1/2 Teaspoon Salt

  • 3 Tablespoons Fresh Cilantro, chopped

  • For the guacamole:
  • 2 Ripe Avocados

  • 2 Garlic Cloves, minced

  • 1 Tablespoon Lime Juice

  • 2 Tablespoons Fresh Cilantro, chopped

  • 1/4 Cup Tomatoes, sliced

  • 3/4 Teaspoon Salt

  • For the chipotle cashew cream:
  • 1 Cup Cashews, raw and unsalted

  • 1/2 Cup Water

  • 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

  • 1 Chipotle In Adobo

  • 1 Garlic Clove

  • 2 Tablespoons Lime Juice

  • 1/2 Teaspoon Salt

Directions

  • Cook your rice according to the package instructions.Burrito Bowls Process Photo 1
  • Cook your ground beef according to the taco seasoning packet instructions.Burrito Bowls Process Photo 2
  • Add all pico de gallo ingredients to a bowl and stir to combine.Burrito Bowls Process Photo 3
  • Add all guacamole ingredients to a bowl and mash avocado until smooth.Burrito Bowls Process Photo 4
  • Add all chipotle cashew cream ingredients to a high-speed blender or food processor and blend until smooth.Burrito Bowls Process Photo 5
  • Divide the rice, ground beef, lettuce, and black beans between four bowls. Top with pico de gallo, guacamole, and chipotle cashew cream.

Notes

  • Rice: Use whatever rice you’d like, I used white because it’s my favorite, though any rice will work!
  • Ground Beef: You can sub ground turkey, chicken or whatever protein you’d like for the ground beef.
  • Romaine Lettuce: Iceberg lettuce will also work in this recipe.

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More Delicious Better-Than-Takeout Recipes

This vegan tomato soup is velvety smooth and loaded with fresh flavor. Incredibly rich and creamy, though completely dairy-free. Enjoy a nice big bowl of this soup with a vegan and gluten-free grilled cheese for the ultimate comfort meal.

Vegan Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese

Most tomato soups are loaded with heavy cream and butter. Making them delicious, but also a nightmare for an IBS-sufferer like me. So in my recipe, I use coconut milk instead! Which still yields that thick and rich tomato soup we all know and love, just without the dairy. This was also one of those recipes that just so happened to be vegan. Like totally unintentional but happy it happened! I found myself cooking up a vegan and gluten-free grilled cheese every time I ate this soup. So it seemed a little unfair of me to share this recipe without also sharing my vegan and gluten-free grilled cheese recipe. The best part is, this recipe takes just 20 minutes to make (grilled cheese included)!

What You Need To Make This Vegan Tomato Soup

Whole Peeled Tomatoes – The most flavorful of all canned tomatoes! If you’d like, you could use fresh tomatoes in this recipe instead. Simply drizzle 2-3 pounds of tomatoes with some olive oil and salt, and roast at 400° Fahrenheit for 45 minutes, let cool and then use in this recipe. And to all my gardeners out there, keep this vegan tomato soup recipe in mind when your tomato plants are flourishing this summer!

Coconut Milk – Don’t worry, it doesn’t make your tomato soup taste like coconut. The tomato flavor is so strong that it covers up any coconut flavor in the coconut milk. The coconut milk gives this recipe its creamy qualities without taking away from the delicious taste of the tomatoes.

Honey or Maple Syrup – A little sweetness always helps curb the acidity of a tomato-heavy recipe. Just one tablespoon of honey or maple syrup make this soup totally irresistible. You could also use a tablespoon of sugar, if you’d like.

Gluten-Free Bread – Use your favorite gluten-free bread to make the grilled cheese! A few brands I enjoy are Canyon Bakehouse and Base Culture. And if I’m feeling up to it, I make my own gluten-free bread using this recipe from The Loopy Whisk.

Vegan Shredded Cheddar Cheese – Same goes for the vegan cheese, use your favorite in this recipe. I used the Violife Cheddar Shreds and had amazing results, I also love Miyoko’s and Daiya’s Vegan Cheddar “Cheeses.”

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

  • Add Dairy: If you’re not vegan or dairy-free, you can use butter instead of olive oil and heavy cream instead of milk.
  • Make it Sugar-Free: You can either leave out the honey/maple syrup, or use a teaspoon of stevia to make this recipe completely sugar-free.

Vegan Tomato Soup + Vegan and Gluten-Free Grilled Cheese

0 from 0 votes
Recipe by Samantha Russo Course: MainCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

15

minutes
Total time

20

minutes


This vegan tomato soup is velvety smooth and loaded with fresh flavor. Incredibly rich and creamy, though completely dairy-free. Enjoy a nice big bowl of this soup with a vegan and gluten-free grilled cheese for the ultimate comfort meal.

Ingredients

  • For the soup:
  • 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

  • 1 Yellow Onion, chopped

  • 3 Garlic Cloves, chopped

  • 1 28oz Can Whole Peeled Tomatoes

  • 1 Tablespoon Honey or Maple Syrup

  • 1 13.5oz Can Coconut Milk, see NOTES

  • 1 Teaspoon Italian Seasoning

  • 1 Teaspoon Salt

  • 1/4 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes, optional

  • For the grilled cheese:
  • 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

  • 8 Slices Gluten-Free Bread

  • 2 Cups Vegan Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Directions

  • Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add in the onions and garlic, cook for 5 minutes or until onions are soft.Vegan Tomato Soup Process Photo 1
  • Add in the remaining ingredients, then bring to a boil before reducing to a simmer. Let simmer covered for 10 minutes.Vegan Tomato Soup Process Photo 2
  • Make your grilled cheese by heating the olive oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Place one slice of bread in the skillet, top with cheese, and then the other slice of bread – cook for 3 minutes per side.
  • Turn off the heat, let the soup cool then either transfer to a blender to blend or puree with an immersion blender until completely smooth.Vegan Tomato Soup Process Photo 3
  • Carefully ladle into bowls, top with more coconut milk and serve alongside your warm and toasty grilled cheese – YUM!Vegan Tomato Soup Process Photo 4

Notes

  • Coconut Milk: You can use heavy cream, or 1 1/2 cups of your favorite non-dairy milk. If using a different non-dairy milk, I recommend something a bit richer such as cashew milk or macadamia nut milk.

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Other Delicious Vegan Recipes You’ll Love