Casablanca Cream Dream

Pasta Simmered in a Moroccan Tagine Sauce with Preserved Lemon and Avocado

50 minutes
Serves 4
DinnerAfrican
Herb's take

Moroccan flavors meet Italian comfort: you’ll tagine-cook pasta in a tomato-laced, spice-forward sauce, finishing with mashed avocado for a lush, North African riff on creamy pasta. This is not your nonna’s pesto, expect warm spices, citrus spark, and a technique that’ll have you rethinking how you use avocados.

Equipment needed
  • Dutch oven or tagine

Ingredients

Yield
4

Instructions

  1. 01
    Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or tagine base over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and golden, 6 to 8 minutes.
  2. 02
    Stir in the garlic, cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, cinnamon, and red pepper flakes. Sauté for 1 minute, until fragrant.
  3. 03
    Pour in the crushed tomatoes and vegetable broth. Add preserved lemon, kosher salt, and sugar. Stir and bring to a simmer.
  4. 04
    Nestle the dried pasta into the sauce, making sure as much is submerged as possible. Cover and simmer, stirring every 3 minutes, until the pasta is just al dente and the sauce is thickened, about 16 to 18 minutes. Add a splash more broth or water if things get dry.
  5. 05
    While the pasta cooks, halve, pit, and scoop out the avocados. Mash with lemon juice, black pepper, and a pinch of salt until smooth.
  6. 06
    Once the pasta is cooked and coated in sauce, remove the pot from heat. Gently fold in the mashed avocado until creamy and well combined.
  7. 07
    Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Stir in most of the chopped cilantro and mint, reserving a little for garnish.
  8. 08
    Divide among bowls, topping each serving with a sprinkle of the reserved herbs. Serve immediately.

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