This vegan asparagus pasta is packed with flavor from fresh asparagus, tangy lemon and loads of garlic and vegan parmesan. It’s extremely easy to make and ready in less than 30 minutes.
What’s not to love about a vegan pasta dish that tastes just as good as something you’d order in a restaurant, that you can make at home in less than 30 minutes?
This vegan asparagus pasta ticks all the boxes. It’s loaded with fresh veggies and flavor, it’s extremely quick and easy and you could just as easily serve it at a fancy dinner party as you can on a regular Thursday night in front of the telly!
It’s comforting and satisfying and seriously delicious. And if you love a good vegan pasta recipe that is ready in less than 30 minutes then you’ll also love our vegan alfredo, vegan carbonara and vegan broccoli pasta. And if you’re an asparagus fan then you’ll definitely love our vegan asparagus soup.
What Goes Into This Asparagus Pasta Recipe:
Ingredient Notes
- Asparagus – should be fresh and firm. We used one bunch of asparagus spears in this recipe, which is around 12 ounces (340g).
- Pasta – can be any type of pasta that you have on hand and use gluten free if needed. We used linguine.
- Vegan parmesan – we used Violife brand of vegan parmesan but any store-bought vegan parmesan cheese will work great. If you can’t get hold of it, then you can omit it from the recipe. Our homemade vegan parmesan cheese would work great to sprinkle over the top when serving.
- Lemon juice – should be freshly squeezed for the best flavor. You can use the same lemons for the juice and zest.
How To Make Vegan Asparagus Pasta
You will find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.
- Put the pasta on to cook according to package directions. When it’s cooked, take out ½ cup of pasta water and keep this aside to use later. Drain and rinse the pasta and set aside.
- Cut off the woody ends of the asparagus and throw those away. Cut the remaining asparagus spears into 4 pieces each. Leave the tips whole, and cut the other pieces lengthways.
- Add olive oil to a pot over medium heat. Add the chopped asparagus and salt and sauté for a minute.
- Add vegan butter, crushed garlic, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, lemon juice and ground black pepper and sauté for a few minutes until the asparagus is al dente (3-5 minutes).
- Add the cooked pasta, grated vegan parmesan cheese and a little of the reserved pasta water to the pot and toss gently to combine.
- Add more of the reserved pasta water as needed until all the pasta is lightly coated and saucy (not dry).
- And your pasta is ready to serve!
Serving Ideas
Serve this pasta in bowls topped with fresh chopped parsley and a sprinkle of ground black pepper, with lemon wedges on the side.
If you need the meal to go further (or need to fancy it up) then a side salad like our vegan Greek salad would go great with this. Some fancy bread like our vegan focaccia would be delicious too.
Chef’s Tips For The Best Vegan Lemon Asparagus Pasta
Don’t overcook the asparagus. The asparagus should be al dente, firm but cooked. If you leave it too long then it will get too soft and break up when tossed with the pasta, so it should ideally be nice and firm.
Start with the asparagus while the pasta is cooking to save time. As soon as you put on the pasta to cook, get going with the asparagus so that it all comes together fast and no time is wasted.
Asparagus Pasta FAQ
Slice off the hard, woody ends of the asparagus spears and throw those away. Then slice the asparagus into 4 pieces. Leave the tips whole and slice the remaining pieces lengthways. This is our preferred way to cut asparagus for pasta but if you want to simplify it, you can just cut each spear of asparagus into 4 pieces (after throwing away the woody ends) and that’s it!
You can easily make this vegan asparagus pasta gluten free. All you need to do is use a gluten free pasta. Everything else will stay the same.
Storing Tips
Keep leftover asparagus pasta stored in the fridge for 3-4 days. It reheats very well in the microwave.
It’s not ideal for freezing.
More Easy Vegan Pasta Recipes (Ready in 30 minutes or less)
- Hummus Pasta
- Vegan Mushroom Pasta
- Vegan Vodka Pasta
- Vegan Pesto Pasta
- Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff
- Vegan Pumpkin Pasta
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!
Vegan Asparagus Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Pasta (226g) Dry Weight
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 12 ounces Asparagus (340g) 1 Bunch
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ⅓ cup Vegan Butter (75g)
- 4 Cloves Garlic Crushed
- ½ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon Zest
- 2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice Freshly Squeezed
- ½ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- ½ cup Vegan Parmesan Cheese
- ½ cup Pasta Water (120ml) Reserved after cooking the pasta
For Serving (Optional):
- Fresh Chopped Parsley
- Ground Black Pepper
- Lemon Wedges
Instructions
- Put the pasta on to cook according to package directions. When it's cooked, take out ½ cup of pasta water and keep this aside to use later. Drain and rinse the pasta and set aside.
- Cut off the woody ends of the asparagus and throw those away. Cut the remaining asparagus spears into 4 pieces each. Leave the tips whole, and cut the other pieces lengthways.
- Add olive oil to a pot over medium heat. Add the chopped asparagus and salt and sauté for a minute.
- Add vegan butter, crushed garlic, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, lemon juice and ground black pepper and sauté for a few minutes until the asparagus is al dente (3-5 minutes).
- Add the cooked pasta, grated vegan parmesan cheese and a little of the reserved pasta water to the pot and toss gently to combine.
- Add more of the reserved pasta water as needed until all the pasta is lightly coated and saucy (not dry).
- Serve in bowls topped with fresh chopped parsley and a sprinkle of ground black pepper, with lemon wedges on the side.
Notes
- Pasta – can be any type of pasta that you have on hand. We used linguine.
- Vegan parmesan – we used Violife brand of vegan parmesan but any store-bought vegan parmesan cheese will work great. If you can’t get hold of it, then you can omit it from the recipe. Our homemade vegan parmesan cheese would work great to sprinkle over the top when serving.
- Gluten-free: Simply use a gluten free pasta to make this recipe gluten free.
- Storing: Keep leftover asparagus pasta stored in the fridge for 3-4 days. It reheats very well in the microwave. It’s not ideal for freezing.
Loved this recipe! It was delicious
Thanks Cindy!
Dang this was so good! Everyone raved about it! I used GF linguine noodles and homemade vegan parmesan. I just added the parmesan and salt to taste. I also used half fresh and half frozen asparagus. I cut the red pepper flakes and black pepper in half for the heat sensitive people. I also added in a couple handfuls of fresh parsley. Next time I would cut the lemon zest in half, save more of the pasta water, and add some spinach. And there will definitely be a next time. Thank you so much! It’s so hard to find recipes that fit my family’s dietary restrictions. Your recipes are lifesavers!
Thanks so much for the awesome review Lily, so glad you enjoyed it!
I really enjoyed this, I always feel like I am missing out because I don’t get to eat what everyone else is eating, but this dish gave me all the feels of delicious pasta! The rest of my family even ate it too!
Awesome! Thanks so much Samantha!
Yum! This is exactly what is described…. simple, easy and delicious! My daughter loved it too!!! Thank you for sharing your delicious recipe! I also didn’t change anything (except I used homemade vegan butter) because I have been needing a break from vegan “chicken” bouillon and miso additions… your recipe hit the spot! Simple and delicious! Thank you for sharing!
Awesome! Thanks so much Melody!
My family isn’t vegan but I’m so very glad I tried this will definitely make it again!
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for sharing and the wonderful review. xo
Loved this! We added broccoli to our pan with the asparagus and mixed that in. Added some sautéed tomatoes. My family loved the fresh lemon taste. This recipe was wonderful. Thank you for sharing!
That sounds amazing Brandy, love your additions! Thanks so much for sharing and the wonderful review. 🙂
Delicious! Thank you! I’ll be making this again!
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for posting. 🙂
Delightful! Absolutely loved it. Thank you!