Hello everyone! I have yet another great recipe to share with you today: Creamy Lemon Asparagus Pasta. I found this recipe on minimalistbaker.com and I’m so glad I did–it’s delicious! It’s such a simple recipe and only takes about 30 minutes total to make! I found this particular recipe quite some time ago but never got around to trying it, until now. I was honestly a bit nervous to try it since the vegan white pasta sauces I’ve tried in the past weren’t the best. They usually ended up tasting too sweet or not “cheesy” enough in flavor. When I saw that this recipe called for unsweetened almond milk, I was so worried and thought it would turn out just like every other vegan white pasta sauce. Boy, was I wrong though. With just the right amount of nutritional yeast, the sauce turned out perfectly cheesy and delicious! I also tweaked the recipe just a bit by adding a sprig of white wine and some mushrooms to the sauce.
Ingredients:
1 bunch asparagus
1 pinch sea salt & black pepper
2 medium lemons, thinly sliced (I honestly used just one lemon and that was enough for me)
3 1/2 Tbsp olive oil (divided)
3-4 large cloves garlic (minced)
10 ounces bow tie pasta
2 1/2 cups unsweetened plain almond milk
3-4 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1-2 Tbsp nutritional yeast (I honestly used a lot more than this because I love my sauce tasting cheesy!)
*optional: 8 ounces of mushrooms & just a sprig of white wine for the sauce!
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Add asparagus to a baking sheet and toss with 1/2 tbsp olive oil and a pinch each salt and pepper, then place the thin slices of lemon on top and bake for 20-25 minutes. Once finished cooking, remove from oven (you can either chop them up into smaller pieces here or leave them be).
While you’re doing this, begin boiling a pot of water and add a bit of salt.
While the water’s heating, bring a large skillet to medium heat. Once hot, add 3 tbsp of olive oil and drop in the minced garlic (and mushrooms if you decided to add them). Whisk and continue cooking for about 1-2 minutes, or until garlic and mushrooms start to brown.
Add 3 tbsp of flour and be sure to whisk! You don’t want it clumping up or burning. Cook for a few second, then gradually whisk in almond milk 1/2 cup at a time. You’ll see the bits of garlic and flour clump a little at first, but don’t panic! Just use a spatula, spoon, or any other flat kitchen utensil to flatten the clumps. Add a healthy pinch salt and pepper and whisk. Slightly lower heat and continue cooking, stirring occasionally. It may take a few minutes for the sauce to thicken, so just keep an eye on it and keep stirring until desired thickness is reached.
Add pasta to boiling water and cook according to package instructions. Then drain and set aside.
Add nutritional yeast and another pinch of salt and pepper to the sauce (this is where you’d add that white wine if you’d like to!). You can always add some more flour if the sauce is too runny.
Add 3/4 of the chopped asparagus (or just place it on the plate as a side if you decided to keep them whole) and the cooked pasta to the sauce and toss to coat. Serve with a lemon wedge and vegan parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast (I personally packed on the nutritional yeast instead just because I love the flavor of it).
And there you have it–a delicious, vegan-friendly creamy pasta dish! I hope you decide to try it out for yourself. If you do, let us know on our Instagram or Facebook how you liked it! Happy cooking!