This lemon asparagus pasta is not only super delicious but also very easy to make. It’s basically a one pot recipe. And it’s just the perfect recipe to embrace spring!
I don’t know about you, but I’m so ready for spring. I thought the weather was finally getting better, but then we got another huge snow storm here in Montreal. Yikes! Nothing I want in March! So at least I need to have some spring recipes on my plate and this easy vegan lemon asparagus pasta is one of my favorites!
The recipe for this lemon asparagus pasta is basically a spin-off of my lemon spaghetti with spinach. We’ve had it so many times in the last few months, so I wanted to make an asparagus pasta with it. And I absolutely loved it!
What You Need For the Lemon Asparagus Pasta:
The ingredient list for this pasta is pretty short. No hard to find ingredients!
You’ll need:
- one onion
- garlic
- vegetable broth
- coconut milk
- gemelli pasta
- one lemon
- fresh green asparagus
- salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes
As always you can find the full ingredient list and the recipe instructions in a separate recipe box at the end of this post.
This Lemon Asparagus Pasta is:
- vegan
- super easy to make
- ready in about 20 minutes
- a one pot recipe
- budget-friendly
- perfect for spring
- super comforting
- kind of decadent, which makes it perfect for date night!
How To Make Asparagus Pasta
As I’ve already said, this lemon asparagus pasta is a one pot pasta recipe. This means everything is cooked in one pot including the uncooked pasta. You only have to sauté the chopped onions and the garlic.
I decided to pan-fry the green asparagus for this recipe. You can either do this in the same pot before cooking the pasta and set them aside if you want to make a real one pot recipe. If you don’t mind getting another pan dirty, you can also do this while the pasta is cooking. Just add some oil in the pot or a pan and cook the asparagus for about 5-8 minutes depending on how thick they are. I usually cut them into 2 inch pieces so they are easier to eat in the asparagus pasta. Make sure to cut off the woody ends of the asparagus. If you don’t know how to do this, check out this video on how to trim green asparagus. I like green asparagus pasta best with a creamy sauce.
Can you buy vegan cream? And what is soy cream?
Before I became vegan, I used to love asparagus with cream sauce. Using coconut milk for this vegan asparagus pasta with lemon is such a great and easy way to get a creamy sauce without using dairy. I also like using vegan soy cream or even oat cream when I can find it. Many supermarkets offer soy cream these days, for example those from alpro or Belsoy. They both make a great substitute for dairy cream in creamy sauces. They’re rich and smooth without using any dairy products.
However, I’d say if you live in a rural area and have problems finding special vegan products, canned coconut milk is the easiest alternative to make vegan creamy sauces besides nut butters. You can find it in basically every supermarket. Make sure to use the full-fat version. I also decided to use canned coconut milk for my lemon asparagus pasta.
I hope you like the recipe for this lemon asparagus pasta as much as we do around here!
Sina – xx
Lemon Asparagus Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup canned coconut milk (full fat)
- 9 oz gemelli pasta
- juice of one small lemon
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 17 oz fresh green asparagus
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
- red pepper flakes, to taste (optional)
Instructions
- Cut off the woody ends of the green asparagus and cut it into 2 inch pieces. Pan-fry it. You can either do this in the same pot before cooking the pasta and set them aside if you want to make a real one pot recipe. Or if you don't mind getting another pan dirty, you can also do this while the pasta is cooking. Just add some oil in a non-sticky pot or a pan and cook the asparagus for about 5-8 minutes depending on how thick they are.
- In a large pot, heat some oil and sauté the onion for 3 minutes until it becomes translucent. Then add the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Add the uncoooked pasta, the vegetable broth, the coconut milk, and the lemon juice. Cook for 15-18 minutes. Stir a couple of times while cooking.
- When the pasta is al dente, stir in the lemon zest and the cooked asparagus. Cook for 2 more minutes and season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Enjoy!
I don’t often do this but have come back to your site now specifically to rate and comment on this fantastic recipe. I had gotten it a little while back and set it aside, planning to try it “tomorrow”. Well, life got in the way as it always does, and only just finally got around to it, a few weeks later of tomorrows. :) Anyway it is a perfect recipe…very delicious, simple natural ingredients, vegan, very easy prep. Funny how the simplest-seeming recipes always turn out to be the best (and best designed). Terrific recipe, thank you!
Sooooo good! I never cooked pasta this way before and thought it would come out sticky and gummy. It was perfect. And quick and easy. You can toss the pasta with whatever veggies you want. I am making it today with garlic scapes and mushrooms!
This was delicious and surprisingly easy to make! The coconut milk gives it a nice flavor and creamy texture, but is still reasonably healthy.
I think the only thing missing from the directions is what heat level to use for cooking. (I used medium and it turned out fine.) This may be intuitive for more experienced cooks, but I always appreciate this laid out clearly in the directions!
This is so good! I used steamed broccoli and left out the oil and it still felt so indulgent! Definitely will be a repeat favorite! Thank you!
It was so creamy and delicious!!! Thank you for this recipe! I also used brown rice instead and it came out still great!
Delicious! 👍🏽🌱🙌🏽
I just made this, and it was delicious. I toasted the asparagus and added some fresh basil on top. Will be making it again.
So great! I made this exactly as written. And my husband even says it is “damn good”
Thanks for sharing!
Listen. Let me tell you something. This stuff is amazing! And I don’t say that lightly.. Easy to make, healthy, and delicious!!!
Wow, absolutely delicious. My coworkers & husband are both having a hard time stopping…like nothing we’ve tasted before. The coconut milk gives it almost a hint of sweetness & it’s creamy without being “gluey” at all. It’s a keeper!!
p.s. it did reduce the onion & garlic slightly but that’s a personal preference & bowtie pasta was what we had on hand. YUM
This has became one of our go to favorites! We used gluten free pasta and our multipot. Super quick, healthy and yummy! Oh and the lunch leftovers make me happy!
Love this recipe! Using coconut milk was great! Super creamy and delicious! Making more tonight!
This was really good!! Definitely will make again. I roasted the asparagus at 425 for 8-10mins with some crushed garlic and a little olive oil
This pasta is so creamy! It’s just perfect for spring and summer, super light. I will definitely make it again.
So yummy! I used bow tie pasta since that’s what I had, and threw in a tomato to stretch it. Super-good! Thanks!
I made the Lemon Asparagus Pasta for Easter Sunday today and I was the only vegan 🌱 and EVERYONE went back for seconds!! They had fun, ( wine helped) watching me whip this up!! Thanks!! 🙏