Pasta With Cilantro Pesto & Avocado

1 large bulb garlic
1/3 cup raw, unsalted pumpkin seeds
1 1/2 cups fresh cilantro leaves
1 1/2 cups fresh parsley leaves
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tsp chile powder
1 tsp dried red chile flakes
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 Tbs milk
12 oz spiral pasta
1 medium Haas avocado
1 medium red bell pepper, diced

1) Preheat oven to 350F. Trim 1/4-inch off the top end of the garlic bulb to just expose the individual cloves. Wrap with foil and bake for 45 minutes. The garlic inside the skin will soften to a paste-like consistency. Allow it to cool for a few minutes before squeezing the garlic paste from the cloves.
2) Meanwhile, toast the pumpkin seeds by placing them in a dry heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Shake the pan frequently so the seeds toast evenly, but do not burn. They will begin to pop and turn golden brown. Remove them from the pan and set aside.
3) Bring several quarts of water to a boil for the pasta. Meanwhile, wash the cilantro and parsley and dry well. In a food processor, combine the cilantro, parsley, and olive oil. Puree to the consistency of a thick paste. Add the garlic paste, chile powder, chile flakes, cumin, 1/4 cup of pumpkin seeds, and the lemon juice. (Reserve the remaining seeds to garnish the pasta.) Puree until fairly smooth and set aside.
4) Cook the pasta in the boiling water until al dente. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, stir together the cilantro mixture, the sour cream, and the milk to make the pesto. Warm over very low heat until hot but not simmering.
5) Cut the avocado open and remove the pit. Peel the avocado and slice it.
6) Drain the pasta well and place it in a warmed serving bowl. Toss with the pesto and diced bell pepper. Serve immediately, garnished with the avocado slices and remaining pumpkin seeds.

Review: This was pretty time consuming. I wasn't sure about roasting the garlic, but it was a bit easier than I expected. And most of the bite was gone. This was an interesting dish, since it seems mostly Italian, but the cilantro, avocado and sour cream screams Mexican (so does the title on the cook book). I'm still not sure how I feel about the dish, as I can be a purist about my food. It didn't suck, though.