creamy avocado pasta with shrimp
I’m writing this post from one place and wishing I was in another.
I’m not talking about where I actually am — at a coffee shop with a tea latte and my husband — no, because that’s pretty great. I’m not talking about wishing I was in warm, sunny Hawaii when instead I am in cold, snowy Minnesota — though I obviously wouldn’t complain if I was on a beach right now. I’m talking about this problem I have with life, sometimes — this problem where I wish things were different than they are, better than they are, even when they’re just fine.
Do you know what I mean by this? I’m a big perfectionist. I’m also a control freak and a worry wart. So basically, my personality can be the trifecta of stress and dissatisfaction. While there are the times I can chill and go with the flow, there are also the times when ALL THE THINGS are going wrong and I can’t seem to get them to where I want them to be, no matter how I try.
I am in an apartment when I want to be in a house.
I have my husband and my cat when I want my husband and my cat and a baby.
I have a job as a writer when I want a more successful job as a writer.
I am a Christian, a friend, a daughter, a sister and a wife when I want to be a better Christian, friend, daughter, sister and wife.
I know this usually isn’t the kind of stuff we talk about here, and it’s because I don’t usually like to talk about it. I don’t like to talk about how my life isn’t always cocoa-roasted almonds and Valentine’s cookies and savory scone bliss. But it’s the truth. It’s real talk. It’s just as real as this pasta is delicious and comforting.
And yet.
And yet, this batch of pasta didn’t turn out quite how I wanted. It didn’t look very pretty to me. It didn’t have that aura of natural food beauty that makes photographing it so effortless. It wasn’t… well, perfect.
And yet.
And yet, it tasted delicious. It was creamy and flavorful, with notes of both avocado and lemon shining through amidst bites of savory sauteed shrimp. It was refreshing and comforting, and in the end, when our plates were empty but our tummies were full, utterly satisfying.
Maybe not what I wanted, but certainly what I needed — just where I was.
Creamy Avocado Pasta with Shrimp
Adapted from Bake Noir
Yields: 4 servings
Ingredients:
1 (13.25 ounce) box uncooked spaghetti
1 tablespoon olive oil
12 ounces peeled, deveined, tail-on shrimp
2 avocados, peeled and seed removed
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
salt and pepper to taste
3 to 4 tablespoons pasta cooking water
fresh grated Parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)
lemon wedges, for serving (optional)
Directions:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain pasta, reserving some of the pasta water. Set aside.
Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp and saute until pink, opaque and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
To the bowl of a food processor add avocado, lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, garlic, basil and salt and pepper to taste. Process mixture until creamy and smooth; adjust seasonings to taste.
Toss cooked pasta with avocado mixture, adding a little pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce/pasta. Add shrimp and toss lightly to combine. Serve with fresh grated Parmesan cheese and lemon wedges, if desired.
Hi Stephanie, I think we may have been separated at birth! I, too am a perfectionist, control freak and worry wart. I can *sometimes* go with the flow, but more often, I am the one “in the driver’s seat” doing all the thinking, planning, and worrying. It’s exhausting and I can relate to you in so many ways. I have learned to accept that this is simply a part of my personality and I have also come to figure out why I have turned out this way {enlightening but also a bit sad}. The bright spot is knowing that I have the power to work on my “Type A-ness” and slowly make changes to become a little more laid back. It turns out that blogging, writing and photography have been the creative outlets that are helping me be OK with imperfection and mishaps. I then try to apply the lesson of “going with the flow” to other areas of my life. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, but I try hard to be mindful, learn from my mistakes and move forward. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I think so many of us who are struggling with certain challenges in life feel isolated until someone speaks up and shares their story. Bravissima! ๐
Forgot to mention that this recipe looks fantastic! What a delicious use for avocado. It pairs so beautifully with shrimp and I love how you incorporated it into a pasta dish.
Jess — Thank you so much, dear! I am looking forward to the end of so many winters. ๐ And LOL, love the autocorrect! ๐
Flavia — Thank you so much for your incredibly kind and insightful words, friend. As much as I don’t wish the trials of my perfectionism on anyone, I am glad to know I am not alone and that I am understood. ๐
I adore avocado pasta, I nearly live on it during the summer. This sounds fabulous with shrimp too!
ALL THE THINGS, huh? That happens. Usually when it happens to me, I end up coming home from work covered in assorted smears that the puppies like to lick. And I need to shampoo my hair twice. AND there are no good houses to stalk on Redfin. Thankfully, ALL THE THINGS don’t usually last till the next day.
But, sometimes, a girl just needs to vent. Maybe have a piece of chocolate?
We really should have made a meeting-each-other-in-real-life-friendship happen when you lived here in Iowa City! Replace the word “cat” with the word “dog” and the word “writer” with the word “teacher” and I could have written this post myself. Except for the rad recipe, which was all you! ๐
Cassie — Pretty sure I’ll be living on it this summer, too! ๐
Kate — Ooh, shampooing my hair twice. Definitely happened. ๐ And YES to the chocolate. Maybe two pieces. ๐
Kelsey — We really did miss the boat on that one, didn’t we? Well if you ever visit the Twin Cities, come to my place and we can talk about our similar life happenings. And I’ll make you this pasta. ๐
I can be a bit of a perfectionist too and it usually makes me hold back more than I should. I also need to just learn to let it go! These dreary Minnesota winter days certainly don’t help the attitude either ๐ I’m glad this pasta put things in perspective for ya….it looks absolutely divine!
Taylor — Ugh, letting it go… SO tough, isn’t it? Looking forward to this winter being over, that’s for sure ๐
Oh, I love the idea of using the avocado as part of the sauce. Delish!!
sometimes when things are exactly how you want them to be that is when it’s perfect. I love the sound of this pasta!
I think my pasta dish would be friends with your pasta dish, no?
Thanks for stopping by “my place” today. Oh, and I completely relate to your personal stuff in this post. Changing my inner dialogue and being grateful for my current situation (even though it’s not “perfect”) is one of the hardest things for me.