Pastabilities Unlocked
Chilled Pasta and Savory Ground Beef Salad with Avocado-Garlic Vinaigrette
35 minutes
Serves 4
DinnerItalianGluten-freeDairy-freeNut-freeShellfish-freeSoy-free
Herb's take
Inspired by Italian summer salads but marching to its own beat, this dish transforms pantry pasta, ground beef, and avocado into a refreshing cold dinner. You'll learn to balance textures and make a creamy vinaigrette without dairy, avocado is the hero.
Ingredients
Yield
4
Instructions
- 01Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside to cool.
- 02Meanwhile, cook the rice: in a small saucepan, combine the rice with 1 cup water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook on low until tender and water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Fluff and chill in the fridge.
- 03Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and season with salt, pepper, paprika, oregano, and cumin. Cook, breaking up meat, until beef is browned and cooked through, about 6-8 minutes.
- 04Add minced garlic to the beef during the last minute of cooking. Stir and cook until fragrant, then remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
- 05Make the avocado dressing: In a bowl, mash 1 avocado with a fork until smooth. Whisk in white vinegar, 1/4 cup olive oil, sugar, 1 tablespoon water, and a pinch of salt and black pepper. Mix until creamy and emulsified.
- 06Dice the remaining avocado. In a large bowl, combine cooled pasta, rice, seasoned beef, and diced avocado.
- 07Pour the avocado dressing over the salad and toss well to coat. Taste for seasoning and add additional salt or pepper if needed.
- 08Chill for at least 15 minutes before serving, or up to 2 hours. Serve cold, garnished with extra black pepper if you’re feeling fancy.
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