Main Dishes
Lemon Asparagus Pasta
Prep
10 minutes
Cook
25 minutes
Yield
4
🍋 Spring vibes on a plate! This lemon asparagus pasta is pure sunshine – creamy, garlicky, and bursting with fresh flavors. Vegan, ready in 35 minutes, and so good you'll want to twirl your fork forever!
This bright and beautiful lemon asparagus pasta celebrates the magic that happens when simple ingredients come together perfectly. Tender asparagus spears mingle with al dente pasta in a luxuriously creamy sauce that’s both vegan and incredibly satisfying. The zesty lemon cuts through the richness while garlic adds depth, creating a dish that feels both elegant and comforting, like spring captured in a bowl.
❤️ Why You’ll Love Lemon Asparagus Pasta
- Vegan: This recipe is entirely vegan, but can also be made vegetarian if you don’t have dietary restrictions.
- Flavorful: The garlic and lemon add so much to the creamy sauce in this lemon asparagus pasta.
- Elegant Simplicity: Impressive enough for dinner parties but easy enough for weeknight dinners.
🍲 Ingredients
Asparagus – Low in calories but a great source of nutrients such as fiber, folate, and vitamins A, C & K. I love cooking with asparagus. I find it so flavorful and it’s easy to find no matter what time of year. Look for firm, bright green spears with tight tips for the best flavor and texture. The natural earthy sweetness of asparagus pairs beautifully with the bright acidity of lemon.
Nutritional Yeast – This is a go-to in your pantry if you are plant-based, but also is great for anyone. Nutritional yeast is highly nutritious. It can be used to add extra protein, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to meals. It has a cheesy taste too so it can be great to use in replacement of parmesan cheese. In this pasta, it creates that rich, umami depth that makes the sauce irresistibly creamy and satisfying.
👩🍳 How to Make Lemon Asparagus Pasta
1. Cook spaghetti as per instructions on the package. Make sure to generously salt the boiling water.
2. In a large pan, heat olive oil and butter on medium-low heat, till the butter is melted. To the pan, add the onions and garlic and cook for 5 minutes or until tender and translucent.
3. To the pan, add the asparagus, capers, salt, and pepper. Stir till combine and cook for another 5 minutes until asparagus becomes more tender. Now, add the lemon zest and juice. Stir again and place the lid on the pan for 2 minutes.
4. To the pan, add the cooked pasta, nutritional yeast, and reserved pasta water. Using tongs, stir till perfectly creamy, adding more pasta water as desired to reach your favorite consistency.
5. Serve immediately! Enjoy!
🪄 Tips and Tricks
- Pasta Water: Reserve at least 1 cup of starchy pasta water before draining – it’s the secret to creating a silky, cohesive sauce.
- Asparagus: Don’t overcook the asparagus! It should be tender-crisp and bright green for the best texture and flavor.
- Lemon Balance: Add lemon juice gradually and taste as you go – you want brightness without overwhelming the other flavors.
🗒 Variations
- Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free noodles to make this recipe celiac-friendly.
- Asparagus Alternatives: No problem if you don’t like asparagus! You can swap it for any other green veggie you like. Try broccoli, spinach, brussels sprouts, etc.
- Protein Additions: Add protein of choice to this pasta. You can add in chickpeas if you’re plant-based, or you can throw in chicken for omnivores.
- Pasta Shapes: While spaghetti is classic, linguine, fettuccine, or even penne work beautifully with this sauce.
🗒 Best served with
- Italian Chopped Salad
- 4-Ingredient No-Knead Bread Recipe
- Cream of Broccoli Soup
- Chicken Meatballs Recipe
👝 How to Store Leftovers
Store in an airtight container for 3-5 days in the fridge.
🤔 Common Questions
Fresh asparagus works best for texture and flavor, but if using frozen, thaw and pat dry first. Add it at the very end of cooking to prevent mushiness.
Trim off the woody ends (about 1-2 inches) and cut the spears diagonally into 1-2 inch pieces. This creates more surface area for better flavor absorption.
Asparagus should be tender-crisp and bright green. It should bend slightly when picked up but not be limp or mushy. Test with a fork – it should pierce easily but still have some resistance.
Vegan parmesan cheese or cashew cream work well. For non-vegan options, regular Parmesan cheese creates a similar umami richness.
A crisp white wine like Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, or Albariño complements the bright, fresh flavors beautifully.
Lemon Asparagus Pasta
Ingredients
- spaghetti of choice of 4 people around 200g
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tbsp. vegan butter
- 1 medium-sized red onion minced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 head of asparagus tough stems removed, and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1/4 cup capers strained
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- zest of 1 lemon around 1 tbsp. or so
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/4 cup reserved pasta water
Instructions
- Cook spaghetti as per instructions on the package. Make sure to generously salt the boiling water.
- In a large pan, heat olive oil and butter on medium-low heat, till the butter is melted. To the pan, add the onions and garlic and cook for 5 minutes or until tender and translucent.
- To the pan, add the asparagus, capers, salt, and pepper. Stir till combine and cook for another 5 minutes until asparagus becomes more tender. Now, add the lemon zest and juice. Stir again and place the lid on the pan for 2 minutes.
- To the pan, add the cooked pasta, nutritional yeast, and reserved pasta water. Using tongs, stir till perfectly creamy, adding more pasta water as desired to reach your favorite consistency.
- Serve immediately! Enjoy!
What can I substitute the yeast with
parmesan cheese!
This pasta dish was so delicious!! I will be adding it to my regular dinner rotation for sure.
yaya!!! I am so excited you loved this!
You had me at capers! So easy yet satisfying, made my Sunday! Saved to my favorites…
thanks so much for the love!
So delicious! I would make this again and again. Lots of flavour with little ingredients, perfect.
yesss isnt it so special!