Avocado Sauce

Inspired by Beard on Pasta
Serves 2

• 1 recipe Avocado Pasta (recipe here)
• 1 1/2 ripe avocados, pitted and cut into chunks
• 1 leek, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 cup cooked beans¹
• 6 sun-dried tomatoes, cut into strips
• 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1 tsp herbes de provence
• 1/4 tsp crushed red chile pepper
• 2 ounces chevre
• 1/2 cup veggie or chicken broth, plus more to thin sauce to your taste
• salt, pepper
• oil
• grated hard Italian cheese, such as Asiago or Parmesan, for garnish

Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Salt well.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Saute leek for 5 minutes until tender, then add garlic. Saute for another minute before adding tomatoes, beans, herbs and spices, and walnuts. Toss together well for another minute. Crumble chevre in, splash some white wine in if you have it, then add broth. Add more broth, if necessary, to thin sauce to desired consistency. Add chunks of avocado and stir well².

Cook pasta for 2 to 3 minutes in the boiling water, strain and portion into bowls. Top with sauce. Garnish with grated cheese before serving.

Notes:

1. About 1/2 can, drained and rinsed, if not cooking beans from scratch. I used pintos here, because that's what I had. Cannellini would be an excellent choice, as would Peruano or Mayo Coba.
2. Don't worry about being overly careful with the avocado.