Vegan Lemon Asparagus Pasta with Pea Shoots
A bright, fresh vegan pasta dish featuring tender asparagus and delicate pea shoots tossed in a zesty lemon sauce.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 15 min
- Total Time: 25 min
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 oz pasta (linguine or spaghetti recommended)
- 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1/2 cup reserved pasta water
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 cup fresh pea shoots
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Before draining, reserve about 1 cup of the starchy cooking water. Drain the pasta and set aside.
- While the pasta cooks, blanch the asparagus pieces in boiling water for 2 minutes until bright green and slightly tender-crisp. Immediately transfer the asparagus to an ice bath to stop the cooking process, then drain.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant; do not let it brown.
- Reduce the heat to low. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, and nutritional yeast to the skillet. Whisk together.
- Pour in 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water and stir until the sauce thickens slightly. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the cooked pasta and the blanched asparagus to the skillet. Toss everything well to coat with the lemon sauce. Add more pasta water, one tablespoon at a time, if the sauce seems too dry.
- Remove the skillet from the heat. Gently fold in the fresh pea shoots until they are just wilted by the residual heat.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- You can substitute broccoli florets for asparagus if desired, adjusting blanching time as needed.
- For a richer sauce, you can add 2 tablespoons of vegan butter at the end with the pea shoots.
- If you do not have pea shoots, baby spinach or arugula work as substitutes, added at the very end.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 3
- Sodium: 250
- Fat: 10
- Saturated Fat: 1
- Unsaturated Fat: 9
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 75
- Fiber: 7
- Protein: 15
- Cholesterol: 0