Creamy Avocado Macaroni

I can’t tell you how many years ago it was (but imagine a long long time!) that I spent every summer with my brother at my grandparents’ place in a small Hungarian town, called Makó. Both of my grandmothers cooked lunch everyday. When we heard the bell ring at noon on the radio, the lunch was ready, the table was set and we could eat. I can still evoke the smell of those kitchens. I remember the vintage cutleries and plates we used – today I’m trying to find some of these in my parents’ garage – I’m a kitchen props addict! 🙂 If we had pasta for lunch it was obvious that my grandmothers made it fresh. During Socialism there were no dried spaghetti, fusilli or penne pastas in the Hungarian stores. If you wanted to eat it, you had to make it at home. Oh, how I miss this home made pasta time!

Today, we, people are a bit too comfortable, don’t you think? It is easier to buy the dry pasta from the shelves of the supermarkets then make it at home. I know it because I do the same. So I decided to do something against it. I bought a pasta machine and from now on I’d like to make fresh pasta as much as I can.

I’m talking about my childhood and especially the fresh pasta because my dearest Italian friend, Giulia hosts May’s Monthly Mingle and the theme is Fresh Pasta. Behind the idea of Monthly Mingle is the talented foodblogger and food photographer, Meeta whose work I admire very much. She loves entertaining and with this virtual mingle she would like to invite everyone over to join her and her guest hosts for a bit of fun, story telling and hopefully a lot of laughter.

Giulia, as a true Italian, is a fresh pasta maniac. It has gradually become her favourite dish and her favourite executive toy when she’s stressed. Well, this macaroni making was my first try and I was a bit stressed to handle the pasta machine… twisting and cutting the macaronis at the same time! They don’t look very pretty but with the creamy avocado sauce the whole dish tastes fresh and delicious. It is a quick, comforting, home-y food.

Thank you  Giulia for setting this exciting challenge!

Creamy Avocado Macaroni

Ingredients (serves 2)

For the pasta
– 2 organic eggs
– 200 g semolina flour + more for dusting
– a pinch of salt

For the avocado creamy sauce
– 2 ripe avocados, peeled and pitted
– 3 garlic cloves, peeled
– 1 lemon’s freshly squeezed juice + lemon zest
– small handful of basil
– salt, pepper
– 1 tablespoon olive oil

Method

To make the sauce place all the ingredients in the food processor. Start blending it until becomes very smooth. Set aside.

To make the pasta dough mix together the flour with the eggs and salt in a bowl. Using your hands knead the dough until it gets elastic, kind of soft and doesn’t stick to your fingers anymore. Set aside for 15 minutes. In smaller portions press the dough through the pasta machine making macaronis or any kind of shape. Sprinkle them with flour.

In the meantime bring salted water to a boil in a  medium sized pan. Add in the macaronis (in portions).  When the noodles begin to float (3-5 minutes) on the top, remove with a slotted spoon, drain and rinse well and place pasta into a bowl. Follow this procedure until all the macaronis have been cooked. Pour sauce over the pasta and toss until fully combined. Garnish with lemon zest, pepper and serve immediately. (This dish does not reheat well due to the avocado in the sauce.)