Did you know that I used to hate sweet potatoes? My only experience with them was the marshmallowed-topped sweet potatoes at Thanksgiving. I know a lot of people like those. I am not one of those people.

Putting sweet potatoes in a breakfast hash was what converted me!

It's a great way to introduce sweet potatoes in a different context to someone who might not like them. And it makes a big breakfast that isn't some kind of baked good.

Don't get me wrong -- I love sweet breakfast foods, but not necessarily in the morning. Maybe I'm getting old, but my body doesn't love that.

If you're looking for a shredded sweet potato hash brown recipe, here's my favorite one: Crispy Oven Shredded Sweet Potato Hash Browns.

If you've ever made a breakfast hash and ended up with a big soggy mess?

Or a giant scramble in that cast iron skillet? I've got a few tricks for you. First things first -- here are my tips for getting the best results out of this sweet potato hash recipe...

Sweet Potato Hash Tips

1. COOK THE MEAT FIRST. ALONE. I used turkey chorizo here and took this hash in a Latin direction, but you can use regular breakfast sausage, chicken sausage, bacon, or chunks of ham if you like. I like to cook the meat in the skillet first to make sure it gets browned well. Browned edges = flavortown. It also leaves a lot of great flavor in the skillet for the rest of the ingredients.
2. TAKE THE MEAT OUT AND THEN COOK THE VEGETABLES. I like to keep it easy and use chopped onion and sweet potatoes. Go low (medium-low or medium heat) and slow here so you don't scorch them. You'll want those caramelized as well. Putting a lid on the skillet helps everything cook more quickly.
3. COOK THE EGGS AT THE END, SEPARATELY. The last thing you want to do is cover all of those caramelized vegetables and bits of browned sausage in egg goo. Slide everything to one side of the pan and cook your eggs on the other side until they've clumped up. THEN fold them into the rest of the hash.

If you do it this way, you'll have better flavored meat, vegetables, AND little chunks of scrambled egg instead.

At the end I like to top mine with some fresh cilantro or sliced green onions. And some Mexican cotija cheese, if I happen to have any on hand.

OH, and guac. It's amazing with some guac. Here's a recipe if you need one: Homemade Guacamole.

Do I have to peel the sweet potatoes?

Nope. I do because I like them better peeled, but it's not necessary. Leave the sweet potato skin on if you like!

There are a lot of ways to adapt this recipe to make it your own!

Ways to adapt this Sweet Potato Hash

Change up the meat

I mentioned this earlier, but you can use another type of quick-cooking meat here, like bacon, sausage, or diced ham. I like turkey chorizo, which might not be found in all grocery stores, though. Jennie-O makes a good one and so does Diestel. You can even use leftover shredded beef or chicken! Just toast it for a bit in the skillet at the beginning.

Make it meatless

If you'd rather have a meatless hash, go for it! I'd recommend adding some seasoning to the potatoes to boost the flavor. I usually use my Sweet Potato Fry Seasoning in things like this. Any Mexican-inspired or tex-mex type of seasoning blend would work well here.

Add more vegetables

I wanted to make this has easy and not so labor intensive, but you can definitely add some diced red bell peppers, zucchini, sliced Brussels sprouts, or any other kind of quick cooking vegetable. If you loathe chopping onions, use some dried minced onion or some onion powder. Same goes for garlic powder.

Use white potatoes 

If you're a purist, use white potatoes. You may need a little extra oil in the pan and a little more time to get them cooked all the way through and browned well. Don't use olive oil unless it's "light". Use a heat-safe oil that can handle higher heat cooking like avocado or coconut oil.

Change up the eggs

If you like a fried egg more than scrambled, make some fried eggs in a separate pan or create a few little pockets in your hash and crack eggs into them. Cover and continue cooking until the eggs are done as much as you like. (I love me a runny egg.) If your pan is oven-safe, pop it in the oven to finish off the eggs.

Here are a few more ways to use sweet potatoes for breakfast

More Sweet Potato Breakfast Recipes on Perry's Plate

Crispy Oven Sweet Potato Hash Browns -- All you need is some grated potatoes, some good cooking fat and a sheet pan. (A food processor is nice, too, but not necessary.) Click over to find my little trick to make them taste like they've been fried!

Chicken Sausage Breakfast Bowls with Sweet Potatoes -- This is a "deconstructed" hash with some roasted potatoes and homemade chicken breakfast sausage!

If you make one of my recipes, I'd love to see! Post it on social media and tag me at @perrysplate or #perrysplate so I can send you some love!

Sweet Potato Hash with Chorizo (Paleo)

Yield: Serves 6

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

This paleo sweet potato hash is easy to make and flavored with spicy turkey chorizo! This is one of my favorite breakfast recipes and also doubles as a tasty taco or burrito filling! It also makes a great meal prep recipe and warms up beautifully for a healthy meal the next day or a make ahead breakfast during the week.

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Ingredients

• 8 ounces Mexican chorizo
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 pound sweet potatoes, cut into ½-inch pieces
• 1 4-ounce can diced green chiles
• A couple handfuls of baby spinach
• 6 eggs
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• Mexican cotija cheese, avocados, & hot sauce, for serving (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat a large nonsick pan to medium-high heat. Squeeze the chorizo from their casings and break it up with a spatula. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes until chorizo forms toasty brown bits.
2. Remove the chorizo from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.
3. Add the chopped onion and sweet potatoes to the pan. If the pan is dry, then add a little oil. (Turkey chorizo doesn't leave many drippings behind.)
4. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the potatoes are soft and golden brown, 12-15 min.
5. Add the green chiles, spinach, and the cooked chorizo into the pan. Stir and cook another minute or two until the spinach has wilted slightly.
6. Crack the eggs into a large glass measuring cup and whisk in the salt. Push all of the hash to one side of the pan and scramble the eggs on the other side of the pan. Use a rubber spatula to fold them around until large clumps form. Then fold the eggs into the rest of the hash.
7. Taste, and add more salt if you think it needs it. Top with fresh cilantro and serve with your choice of garnishes.

Notes

1. Feel free to swap out the meat for bulk breakfast sausage, bacon, or diced ham.

The post Sweet Potato Hash with Chorizo (Paleo) appeared first on Perry's Plate.

Hello, friends! I took a little time off to recover from Christmas, and we made a last-minute trip to Utah to attend a funeral. Needless to say, I'm really happy that school resumed this week and we're back into our regular routine. AND I've got some new I'll be sharing shortly.

Let's talk about this breakfast bake! I've made it a couple of times -- even froze it once and it did great! My favorite part is the spiralized butternut squash.

Aren't these the prettiest veggie noodles you've ever seen? I prefer butternut noodles over zucchini noodles because they're heartier and less watery than zucchini noodles tend to be. Plus, look at that color.

Would I lose any credibility if I admitted that I make a lot of my ingredient choices based on color coordination? Or just color in general?

By the way, if you don't have a spiralizer, grab one! Especially if you're going to be venturing into a paleo or low carb/keto lifestyle. Or just looking to add more vegetables to your diet. Or more orange noodles.

This is really easy to throw together, too. Just spiralized butternut squash, cooked & crumbled breakfast sausage, and a few handfuls of torn baby spinach.

If you've been around here for a while you may know that I like to throw handfuls of spinach into random stuff. It's my go-to if I think a recipe needs more veg. Plus my kids are (usually) ok with bits of green in their food.

Like other breakfast bake an eggy mixture gets poured all over. This one also has almond milk, salsa verde, and some spices.

This could potentially be Whole30 compliant, too! Finding bulk breakfast sausage that's Whole30 compliant might be next to impossible.

If you can't find it, use my Homemade Chicken Breakfast Sausage recipe!

Spiralized Butternut Squash Breakfast Bake

Yield: Serves 12

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

This tasty breakfast bake start off with spiralized butternut squash and is packed with flavor -- sausage, southwest spices, and some salsa verde.

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Ingredients

Toggle ingredient group

• 1 pound bulk breakfast sausage
• ½ of a large butternut squash, spiralized (The long, straight half. Not the round, hollow end.)
• 2 large handfuld of torn baby spinach
• 1 cup jarred salsa verde
• 9 eggs
• 1 cup of almond or coconut milk (see note)
• 1 ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Cook the sausage in a large skillet over high heat until cooked through and crispy in spots, breaking up the meat in to small pieces as it cooks.
3. Prepare a 9x13" baking dish with nonstick spray. Place the spiralized squash in the pan. Sprinkle the sausage and spinach over the top.
4. In a large bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the remaining ingredients. Pour it evenly over the meat and vegetables in the baking dish.
5. Bake for about 60 minutes, uncovered, until everything is cooked through and there aren't any more goopy egg spots on top. (You know what I'm talking about, right?)

Notes

Nat's Note:

1. To make this a little more creamy, you can substitute ⅓ cup of the milk with heavy cream.

2. If you're wanting this to be Whole30 compliant and can't find compliant breakfast sausage, use my Homemade Chicken Breakfast Sausage!

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It’s easier than you think to make stuffed burgers and I’ll give you all my best tips for getting as much goat cheese goodness on that burger as it will hold.

Have You Tried Goat Cheese on a Burger?

If you like goat cheese, you may love this, too. Since beef pairs well with bold flavors, it holds up to goat cheese’s bold, tangy bite.

What You'll Need to Make a Goat Cheese Hamburger

For the burgers:

• Ground beef or lamb
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Goat cheese
• Lemon zest
• Garlic
• Buns (or pitas), lettuce (or spinach) & sliced tomatoesFor the dressing:
• Goat cheese
• Almond milk
• Apple cider vinegar
• Olive oil
• Mustard
• Cucumber
• Cilantro

How to Make Goat Cheese Burgers

1. For the burgers: Preheat your grill (or stove-top grill pan) to high.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, add the salt and pepper to the ground beef and gently mix well. Don't squish the meat in your fists, but gently "toss" it around in the bowl. The less you handle the meat, the better.
3. In a small bowl combine the goat cheese, lemon zest, and garlic.
4. Grab a large plate or platter to set the patties on. Score the meat while it's in the bowl so the meat is divided evenly. Divide it into 4 or 5 sections, depending on how thick you want your burgers.
5. Take out the amount for one burger and divide that in half. Make two very flat patties out of them. Place a large spoonful of the goat cheese mixture into the center of one of the patties. Top with the other patty and seal the edges the best you can.
6. Repeat with remaining ground beef and goat cheese mixture. Grill burgers over high heat for 10-15 minutes, flipping once, until they're cooked all the way through.
7. Meanwhile, make the dressing: Combine all of the dressing ingredients (except the cucumber and cilantro) in a food processor and process until smooth. You could whisk it, but I would recommend at least using a blender or a hand mixer to break up the goat cheese evenly.
8. Stir in the cucumber and cilantro. Assemble the burgers, drizzling the dressing over the meat.

Goat Cheese Hamburger Tips

• Don’t try to stuff TOO much goat cheese in the burger or it will make it difficult for the burger to stay together during grilling. It may also ooze out of the burgers too much and burn.
• When you’re assembling your patties, make sure you seal them up well and make them tight or else you may have the same issues as what I described above.
• If you don’t want to make the spread, try adding some store bought tzatziki instead for a time-saving alternative.
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How to Serve a Burger with Goat Cheese

Assemble the burgers as you would any other burger recipe, and then drizzle a generous amount of the dressing ontop of the patty. Serve alongside a refreshing salad.

Storing a Goat Cheese Burger

Store any leftovers separately in airtight containers for up to 3 days.

If you make one of my recipes, I'd love to see! Post it on social media and tag me at @perrysplate or #perrysplate so I can send you some love!

Goat Cheese Burger Recipe

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

This goat cheese burger is for die-hard goat cheese lovers only. Or wanna-be die-hard goat cheese lovers. Or someone who would like to cook for a die-hard goat cheese lover.

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Ingredients

For the burgers:

Toggle ingredient group

• 1 ½ pounds ground beef or lamb (organic & grass-fed if possible)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 5 ounces goat cheese
• ½ teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
• Buns (or pitas), lettuce & sliced tomatoes (optional)

For the dressing:

Toggle ingredient group

• 4 ounces soft goat cheese
• 2 Tablespoons almond milk
• 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ teaspoon whole-grain mustard
• ⅓ cup chopped cucumber
• 3 T chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

1. For the burgers: Preheat your grill (or stove-top grill pan) to high.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, add the salt and pepper to the ground beef and gently mix well. Don't squish the meat in your fists, but gently "toss" it around in the bowl. The less you handle the meat, the better.
3. In a small bowl combine the goat cheese, lemon zest, and garlic.
4. Grab a large plate or platter to set the patties on. Score the meat while it's in the bowl so the meat is divided evenly. Divide it into 4 or 5 sections, depending on how thick you want your burgers.
5. Take out the amount for one burger and divide that in half. Make two very flat patties out of them. Place a large spoonful of the goat cheese mixture into the center of one of the patties. Top with the other patty and seal the edges the best you can.
6. Repeat with remaining ground beef and goat cheese mixture. Grill burgers over high heat for 10-15 minutes, flipping once, until they're cooked all the way through.
7. Meanwhile, make the dressing: Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a food processor and pulse until thick and smooth. If you don't have a food processor or a blender, grate the cucumber and add it to the rest of the ingredients after you've whisked it really well to break up the goat cheese.
8. Assemble the burgers, drizzling the dressing over the meat.

Nutrition Information

Yield 4 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 770Total Fat 51gSaturated Fat 23gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 23gCholesterol 201mgSodium 794mgCarbohydrates 9gFiber 1gSugar 2gProtein 65g

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

This post may contain affiliate links. Any purchases made by using these links won't cost you any extra and helps keep my content free. These links may be Amazon links as I am part of the Amazon Associate Program.

The post The Ultimate Goat Cheese Burger appeared first on Perry's Plate.

I love crepes. Like looove crepes. When we switched to Gluten-Free Crepes, it wasn't even a big deal. (Best recipe ever, btw.) Cinnamon apples or strawberries & Nutella are my favorite sweet fillings (with plenty of freshly whipped cream, of course), but sometimes I like to make savory crepes for dinner. Even better if its gluten-free crepes with shrimp. And mushrooms. And goat cheese. *drool*

I was inspired by a recipe I saw in Food Network Magazine forever ago. Savory buckwheat crepes were paired with several types of fillings. Instead of cooking all of the fillings separately, I cooked them together to speed things up. (Who has 2 hours to make dinner?)

I also tweaked my go-to crepe recipe and added some lemon zest and thyme. Buckwheat crepes would have been delicious, too, but I was out of buckwheat flour. (Here's a recipe for buckwheat crepes if you're interested!)

Also, the goat cheese really made these crepes amazing and added some creaminess. If you don't like goat cheese, try some feta, Parmesan, shredded Swiss,  or havarti. You could even replace the vegetables and protein for those you like better.

If you'll excuse me, I have some sweet, squishy cheeks to kiss. :)

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If you make one of my recipes, I'd love to see! Post it on social media and tag me at @perrysplate or #perrysplate so I can send you some love!

Savory Crepes with Shrimp, Mushrooms & Goat Cheese

Yield: Serves 4-6

Savory crepes are one of our favorite brunches! (Or even dinners!) The garlicky shrimp and mushroom mixture with creamy goat cheese is absolutely delicious.

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Ingredients

• For the crepes:
• ¾ cup gluten-free flour blend
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 eggs
• 1 ¼ cup almond or coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 Tablespoon milled flax (optional)
• butter or coconut oil, for cooking
• For the filling:
• 2 medium red onions, peeled, halved, and sliced thinly
• 4 Tablespoons butter, divided
• ½ pound sliced mushrooms
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• 4 cloves garlic
• 24 medium shrimp
• juice from 1 lemon (3-4 Tablespoons)
• 8 ounces fresh baby spinach
• 1 cup goat cheese crumbles (3-4 ounces)

Instructions

1. Combine all crepe ingredients (except butter) in a blender and process until smooth. You could also whisk them together in a medium mixing bowl or use an immersion blender. Let the mixture sit for 15-20 minutes so the bubbles can subside in the batter.
2. In a large skillet, melt 2 Tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat.
3. Add onions and cook, stirring frequently, until onions soften. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook onions, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes until they are light golden brown.
4. Meanwhile, begin cooking the crepes. Heat a small nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Smear a small amount of butter in the pan and add about ¼ cup of crepe batter. Tilt and rotate the pan around until the batter covers the bottom evenly. Cook for about a minute, flip, and then for another minute until both sides have golden spots.
5. Repeat with remaining batter. Keep crepes warm until you're ready to serve them. When the onions are light golden brown, add the remaining 2 Tablespoons of butter, mushrooms, thyme, and garlic to the skillet.
6. Cook for 8-10 minutes until mushrooms are cooked through. Add shrimp, lemon juice, and spinach to the skillet. Season with a generous pinch of salt, and cook until the shrimp is pink and spinach is wilted, 3-4 minutes.
7. Fill each crepe with a few spoonfuls of filling and some goat cheese crumbles.

Notes

Nat's Notes: The crepe batter can be made a day or two ahead of time and makes about 16 crepes.

This post may contain affiliate links. Any purchases made by using these links won't cost you any extra and helps keep my content free. These links may be Amazon links as I am part of the Amazon Associate Program.

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The post Savory Gluten-Free Crepes with Shrimp, Mushrooms, & Goat Cheese appeared first on Perry's Plate.

I only have a few short weeks before I can no longer justify eating what I want, whenever I want. (Usually that doesn't include quinoa salad.)

Bummer. *Sigh*

Given the choice, I may choose this particular quinoa salad over most of the indulging things I've been eating lately. This little one has wanted to nurse every waking moment of her days, and consequently my appetite is rather beast-like. I told Steve yesterday that I'd keep the baby fed if he'd keep me fed. Our grocery bill may just go up a smidgen.

That doesn't mean I need to give in to every 9PM Nutella-on-ice-cream craving. I need to reign in my cravings and get ready for my July paleo cleanse (Which, by the way, means I'll simply be eating strictly paleo. Not restricting calories or fat because I'll be nursing.), so I'm gathering some healthier options, like this refreshing summer quinoa salad!

This one is similar to this Lemon Quinoa Salad, but has a sweet-ish dressing and a few other ingredients that turn it into a completely different salad.

And it's totally sun-safe. No nasty, warm mayo to fear!

If you like this, salad, try one of my other sun-safe salads!

More Potluck Salad Recipes on Perry's Plate

Grilled Vegetable & Rotisserie Chicken Salad -- A mixture of grilled and fresh vegetables mixed with easy rotisserie chicken & tossed in a light lemon vinaigrette.

Grilled Vegetable Potluck Salad with Avocado Ranch -- Similar to the one above, this one has grilled vegetables, but includes some tasty grilled chicken sausage and a creamy avocado ranch dressing!

Mango Cucumber Rice Salad -- A rice-based salad with cool, refreshing bits of cucumber and mango!

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If you make one of my recipes, I'd love to see! Post it on social media and tag me at @perrysplate or #perrysplate so I can send you some love!

Sweet Lemon-Herb Quinoa Salad

Yield: Serves 6-8

My favorite part about this hearty, vegetarian quinoa salad is the sweet dressing made from lemon-infused oil! The whole thing is so light and fresh.

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Ingredients

Toggle ingredient group

• 2 lemons
• ¼ cup avocado or other neutral-tasting oil
• 1 ½ cups uncooked quinoa
• 2 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons honey
• salt & freshly ground pepper
• 1 whole shallot, thinly sliced (or ¼ of a medium red onion)
• 1 medium carrot, shredded
• 1 cup diced cucumber
• 1 cup diced jicama
• ½ cup raw cashews (or peanuts, if you prefer)
• ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• ½ cup fresh mint, chopped
• ½ cup fresh basil, chopped
• 1 bunch watercress, tough stems removed, leaves torn (or a couple handfuls of baby spinach)

Instructions

1. Remove 2 wide strips of the zest of 1 lemon with a vegetable peeler. Combine 1 strip of zest with oil in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook until the edges of the zest turn slightly golden, about 5 minutes. Let the lemon oil cool. (That's what you have now -- lemon oil. Cool, huh?)
2. Meanwhile, cook the quinoa as directed on the package, adding the remaining lemon zest strip to the water.
3. Transfer quinoa to a large bowl, discarding the zest, and fluff with a fork. Let cool to room temperature.
4. Meanwhile, make the dressing by juicing both lemons into a medium bowl. Whisk in the vinegar, brown sugar, 1 ¼ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Keep whisking until sugar dissolves.
5. Discard the zest from the cooled lemon oil, then whisk the oil into the dressing. Add the shallots and let it marinate for 15 minutes.
6. Add the carrot, cucumber, jicama, nuts, cilantro, mint, basil and watercress/spinach to the bowl with the rice. Add the dressing and gently toss.

This post may contain affiliate links. Any purchases made by using these links won't cost you any extra and helps keep my content free. These links may be Amazon links as I am part of the Amazon Associate Program.

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The green sauce on this pasta is full of flavor from the garlic, Greek yogurt, and parmesan – you’ll forget that this is a spinach-based pasta “sauce”! You can even swap out the spinach for kale or another sturdy green like chard or a blend of all three.

It comes together really quickly, too, and if you have an immersion blender it’ll save you even more time and clean up.

Green Pasta Recipe Ingredients

• Gluten-free pasta
• Butter
• Garlic
• Salt
• Spinach (about 8 ounces)
• Greek yogurt
• Avocado
• Pecorino-Romano or Parmesan cheese

Suggested Tools for making Green Pasta

This is also reason #92574 why you should have an immersion blender in your kitchen.

My 4-year-old had two big piles of this pasta. I call that a win.

How To Make Creamy Spinach Pasta

1. Get the pasta cooking in a very large pot of salted boiling water. Cook according to the package directions for "al dente" doneness. Drain pasta from the pot, setting aside about 1 cup of pasta water.
2. Return pasta to the pot and set aside. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for about 1-2 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and the spinach to the saucepan (Yes, the pan will be full. Just stuff it all in.)
3. Cover pot and reduce heat to medium-low. Let the mixture cook for about 4-5 minutes or until the spinach is completely wilted. Add the yogurt, avocado, and half of the of reserved pasta water to the spinach mixture.
4. Stir it a bit, then buzz it up with an immersion blender. (If you don't have one, transfer to a food processor or a blender. Blend well, and transfer the blended sauce to the pot with the pasta.)
5. Stir in the cheese, and add more pasta water if it seems too thick. Add salt and pepper, to taste and serve with a sprinkle of grated cheese.

Pasta with Spinach Recipe Variations

1. You can use any sturdy green in this recipe: kale & Swiss chard would work really well. Or a combination of all three greens!
2. You may also use frozen chopped spinach or kale. Just toss it into the skillet frozen. You may need less pasta water because of the water that will come off of the frozen greens.
3. To make this a little more "grown up", add a pinch of pepper flakes when you add the garlic and finish it with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.
4. To make this low-carb, use zoodles instead of gluten-free pasta! Add the raw zoodles to the sauce and cook, stirring for about 4-5 minutes until the zoodles have softened, but aren't mushy. Serve immediately.

Serving Creamy Avocado Pasta

Garnish liberally with Parmesan and some fresh basil leaves. Serve immediately.SaveSave

Serving Creamy Avocado Pasta

This pasta is best eaten right after you make it, but if you must store leftovers, transfer them to a lidded container and store chilled for up to 3 days.

If you make one of my recipes, I'd love to see! Post it on social media and tag me at @perrysplate or #perrysplate so I can send you some love!

Spinach Avocado Pasta

Yield: Serves 4-5

Sometimes red sauce gets old. Go green!

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Ingredients

Toggle ingredient group

• 8 ounces of gluten-free pasta, any shape
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced or Microplaned
• pinch of salt, more to taste
• 3-4 big handfuls of spinach (about 8 ounces)
• ¼ cup full-fat Greek yogurt
• 1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and cut into large chunks
• ½ cup grated fresh Pecorino-Romano or Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish

Instructions

1. Get the pasta cooking in a very large pot of salted boiling water. Cook according to the package directions for "al dente" doneness. Drain pasta from the pot, setting aside about 1 cup of pasta water.
2. Return pasta to the pot and set aside. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for about 1-2 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and the spinach to the saucepan (Yes, the pan will be full. Just stuff it all in.)
3. Cover pot and reduce heat to medium-low. Let the mixture cook for about 4-5 minutes or until the spinach is completely wilted. Add the yogurt, avocado, and half of the of reserved pasta water to the spinach mixture.
4. Stir it a bit, then buzz it up with an immersion blender. (If you don't have one, transfer to a food processor or a blender. Blend well, and transfer the blended sauce to the pot with the pasta.)
5. Stir in the cheese, and add more pasta water if it seems too thick. Add salt and pepper, to taste and serve with a sprinkle of grated cheese. 

Notes

Nat's Notes:

1. You can use any sturdy green in this recipe: kale & Swiss chard would work really well. Or a combination of all three greens!
2. You may also use frozen chopped spinach or kale. Just toss it into the skillet frozen. You may need less pasta water because of the water that will come off of the frozen greens.
3. To make this a little more "grown up", add a pinch of pepper flakes when you add the garlic and finish it with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.
4. To make this low-carb, use zoodles instead of gluten-free pasta! Add the raw zoodles to the sauce and cook, stirring for about 4-5 minutes until the zoodles have softened, but aren't mushy. Serve immediately.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  Microplane 45000 Gourmet Series Coarse Cheese Grater, 18/8, Silver
• 
  Mueller Austria Ultra-Stick 500 Watt 9-Speed Immersion Multi-Purpose Hand Blender

This post may contain affiliate links. Any purchases made by using these links won't cost you any extra and helps keep my content free. These links may be Amazon links as I am part of the Amazon Associate Program.

The post Avocado Spinach Pasta Sauce appeared first on Perry's Plate.