Turkey Bacon & Avocado Summer Pasta

The perfect Summer pasta. Yum!

This recipe caught my eye on Pinterest a few weeks ago. I’d been on the lookout for yummy dinner ideas that didn’t require turning on the oven and this totally fit the bill. I had to do a little hunting to find the original source but it looks like it came from the Better Homes and Gardens website.

Of course, I made a few minor swaps to make it a little healthier (added tomatoes and used turkey bacon instead of regular bacon). I also switched the Pecorino RomanoPecorino RomanoPecorino RomanoPecorino Romano for Parmesan cheese (because that’s what I had in the fridge).

Turkey Bacon & Avocado Summer Pasta

Ingredients:
8 ounces of your favorite pasta (I used Trader Joe’s Organic Vegetable Radiatore)
6 slices reduced-sodium turkey bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
2 Roma tomatoes, washed and chopped
2/3 cup fresh basil, washed and chopped
1 whole lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shaved
2 medium avocados, halved, seeded, peeled, and chopped

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions.

Cook turkey bacon according to package directions until crispy and easy to crumble. (I used the microwave and it took about 5 minutes. I checked every 30 seconds after the two-minute mark in order to avoid burning.)

In a large bowl combine all ingredients except avocado and toss well. Add avocado right before serving, toss lightly, and garnish with a little extra Parmesan cheese and black pepper.

Healthy “Swap”tion:
Trade the regular pasta for whole wheat and reduce the amount of extra-virgin olive oil from 2 tablespoons to 1 tablespoon.

The Result:
I thought this was going to be good…and it was actually great. The flavors complement each other so nicely and it’s a tasty, light way to enjoy pasta. I was going to serve this with garlic bread, but it worked out well as a stand-alone dish. Pasta, check. Veggies, check. Protein, check. It’s an all-around winner. The hubs really liked it too, which is always a bonus. This one will surely be making appearances on our dinner table throughout the summer.

Until next time,
Ryann