Jollof the Charts
Nigerian-Style Jollof Pasta Tossed with Creamy Avocado and Pepper Sauce
40 minutes
Serves 4
DinnerAfricanGluten-freeDairy-freeNut-freeShellfish-freeSoy-free
Herb's take
What happens when West African jollof meets Italian pasta? A bold, one-pot fusion packed with tomatoes, sweet peppers, and creamy avocado. Tonight you'll get a crash course in blooming spices, building flavor with aromatics, and why avocado is your new silky pasta sauce MVP.
Ingredients
Yield
4
Instructions
- 01Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta just shy of al dente, about 1–2 minutes less than package directions. Drain and reserve 1/2 cup pasta water.
- 02While the pasta cooks, add the oil to a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Sauté the onion, red bell pepper, and scotch bonnet pepper until softened, about 6 minutes.
- 03Stir in the garlic and ginger. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- 04Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes until it darkens slightly.
- 05Add the diced tomatoes, smoked paprika, thyme, bay leaf, cayenne, salt, and black pepper. Cook, stirring, until everything is thickened and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
- 06Pour in the broth. Simmer for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until you have a saucy, slightly reduced base.
- 07Remove the bay leaf. Transfer the sauce to a blender (or use an immersion blender) and blend until very smooth. Return the sauce to the pan.
- 08Scoop the avocado flesh into a bowl and mash thoroughly with lemon juice until smooth and creamy.
- 09Stir mashed avocado into the tomato-pepper sauce until fully combined and pale orange. If the sauce seems too thick, loosen with reserved pasta water as needed.
- 10Add the drained pasta to the pan, tossing gently to coat with the avocado jollof sauce. Heat on low for 1–2 minutes to marry the flavors.
- 11Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt or lemon juice if needed. Serve hot, topped with sliced scallions.
Want your own recipe?
Toss me some ingredients in the Recipe Lab and I'll invent three recipes on the spot. Just for you.