Lemon Avocado Pasta with Sautéed Cilantro Jackfruit (lectin-free, gluten-free, & vegan)

Raise your hand if you love pasta?

Just kidding, that was a rhetorical question – I know you love pasta.

With the discovery of white rice pastas, of which their are almost as many varieties as there are for wheat pastas, quick & easy pasta dinners have re-entered my life. White rice pastas are essentially the Asian equivalent to European pastas. “Never seen them in stores,” you say? You’re probably right, as American markets tend to only carry one or two white rice pastas, however, enter an Oriental market and you will find aisles full of the stuff. Just like European pastas, there are wide rice noodles, angel hair rice noodles, flat and short rice noodles, there are even white rice elbows, which we used in our Macaroni & Cheese recipe. 

Cooking rice pasta is nearly identical to cooking wheat pasta – the pasta goes into a large pot of boiling water, you wait until it’s al dente, you drain it, shock it with cold water to stop the cooking, then you use it as you wish. That is with some exception however, as some rice noodles need only to be soaked in water for a short amount of time before use, but those are for another recipe. 

The noodles we used in this dish are as wide as fettuccini, long, transparent, flat and they come all wrapped up in several big bunches in the bag; sometimes they’re labeled as “large rice sticks.” As soon as the mound of noodles hits the water, they start to fall apart from one another and cook separately, like wheat pasta. When looking for these noodles in the market, they may be labeled as simply as “rice sticks,” which admittedly isn’t very helpful as there are many different sizes and shapes of “rice sticks.” What’s important is to look at the shape and size of the noodles – if they fit the description above, then you’re good to go.

Now that you’ve forgotten what I was talking about before that photo, I’ll enact a change of subject right……………… now!

The sauce that dresses our al dente rice noodles is a simple, one-blender, no-pot sauce that can be assembled in five minutes. Think of its flavors like a fresh, Hispanic take on pesto – cilantro, avocado, olive oil, and lemon juice are whipped together to form a creamy, bright, salty, & tangy sauce that sparks up the monotonous life of your tastebuds. On top of being flavorful, this sauce is rich in omega-3 fatty acids (thanks avocado) as well as heart-healthy antioxidants (shout out to olive oil)!

While pasta + sauce is pretty great by itself, the combination can be elevated to new heights when an extra element is added. Why not something chewy, salty, and meat-y in its essence; how about jackfruit? No, I’m being serious. Jackfruit’s potential is light years beyond a skimpy, $14 sandwich from some hipster eatery in Silverlake.

This monstrous fruit (it seriously looks like a ticking time bomb from outer space), can be cooked, sliced, and served in a thousand different ways, so it’s a shame that it gets so pigeon-holed in the culinary world – in fact, jackfruit is just as diverse as pork. This time around, we marinated canned jackfruit pieces with cilantro, olive oil, salt, onion powder, and chili powder to create a tantalizing, mouth-watering jackfruit that’s both chewy and meaty. While I’ve been dying to get my hands on entire, unripe jackfruit, it’s nearly impossible, as most whole jackfruits on the market are ripe, with sweet orange flesh, which cannot be used interchangeably with young jackfruit. Thus, canned and boxed jackfruit is the best choice for the home cook. Plus, who really wants to hack into a spiky, 15 lb fruit? Okay, maybe I do just a little.

Side note: We made this meal while a buddy of ours who eats meat was around, and when he tasted it, he said that the jackfruit looks, feels, and tastes just like pork.

All in all, this dish is:

• 30 minutes
• Easy
• Bursting with bright & savory flavors
• Chewy, creamy, and meat-y
• Filling & packed with healthy fats
• Lectin-free, vegan, and gluten-free

If you like what your taste buds are tellin’ ya, leave behind a nice rating, share your thoughts with us in the comments, or show us your creations by tagging @noeggsorham on Instagram.

Go Forth & Devour,
Kim & Ryan