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Side view of a plate of gemelli pasta in a light cream sauce with asparagus and spring peas with glasses of wine in the background

Creamy Lemon Asparagus Pasta - Vegan with Gluten-Free Option

Ready in less than 20 minutes, this simple creamy lemon pasta with asparagus and peas is a delicious and satisfying vegan meal. The fresh taste of spring green veggies is complimented by a bit of olive oil, lemon, lots of garlic, nutritional yeast (or vegan Parmesan) plus blended cashews for creaminess. Easy enough for a weeknight and fancy enough for company!
4.94 from 15 votes
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Course: Pasta
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Easy Vegan Pasta Recipe, Vegan Asparagus Recipe, vegan pasta primavera
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 355kcal
Author: Bronwyn

Ingredients

  • 12 oz short cut pasta, such as gemelli (use gluten-free if preferred)
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 lb thin asparagus, woody ends trimmed off, cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 1 cup green peas, fresh or frozen
  • 1 cup snap peas or snow peas
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 ½ cups water
  • ½ cup raw cashews
  • 1 tsp salt
  • juice from one lemon
  • zest from one lemon, microplaned, or finely minced
  • ¼ cup nutritional yeast (or vegan Parmesan)
  • salt, pepper, and red chili flakes to taste
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Have all of your ingredients measured and ready to go before starting.
  • Prepare the pasta according to package directions, reserving one cup of cooking water.
  • In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Once shimmering, add the shallot, and asparagus. Sauté for 2 -3 minutes, or until the asparagus starts to brighten in color. Add the snap peas, green peas and garlic, cooking for another 2 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, blend the cashews with the water until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary. Pour the cashew cream into the skillet with the vegetables, and stir until bubbling and it starts to thicken, about 2 minutes. Stir in the salt, lemon juice, lemon zest and nutritional yeast (or vegan Parmesan).
  • Remove from heat and toss with the cooked, drained noodles, stirring in reserved pasta water as necessary. Season with salt, pepper and red chili flakes if desired. Enjoy!

Nutrition Info:

Calories: 355kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 396mg | Potassium: 449mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 934IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 4mg

Notes:

To Reheat: Add a splash of water to leftovers during reheating to help reconstitute the sauce. Leftover pasta will absorb some of the moisture, so adding more water during reheating makes it a bit saucier. 
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