This creamy Pasta with Asparagus is addictively delicious, healthy, and kid-approved. Ready in 20 minutes, with the Best Vegan Alfredo Sauce. Plus, it's perfect for meal prep.
Make the flavor-packed Best Vegan Alfredo Sauce, and this Pasta with Asparagus ahead of time, and enjoy this delectable combo for up to 4 days. This is the ultimate recipe for taking advantage of asparagus season! It will quickly become one of your go-to dinners, especially in spring and summer.
This dish was inspired by my Creamy Dairy-Free Vegan Lemon Pasta (No Nuts) on this site, as well as this 15-Minute Artichoke Pasta.
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👩🏼🌾 Ingredients
- Asparagus is a nutritious vegetable that is low in calories and high in vitamins and minerals. Plus, it's high in fiber, which helps promote healthy digestion and can also help reduce the risk of certain digestive problems, such as constipation and diverticulitis.
- Chickpeas are an excellent source of protein, fiber, and a range of vitamins and minerals, including iron. The fiber in chickpeas helps to promote healthy digestion and prevent constipation. Additionally, the resistant starch found in chickpeas has been shown to promote the growth of beneficial gut bacteria. They have a slightly nutty flavor and a firm texture that makes them a great addition to many recipes.
- Miso adds a cheesy umami flavor to the vegan Alfredo sauce. White miso is a fermented paste made from inoculating soybeans with a mold called koji, which is cultivated from rice, barley, or soybeans. It's rich in umami, salty, and earthy in flavor. Use it to make salad dressings, glazes, sauces, dips, as well as in stews, and soups. It's very versatile and lasts for quite some time in the refrigerator.
- Cashews are a good source of healthy fats, protein, vitamins, and minerals, including magnesium, copper, and zinc. They are often used in vegan cuisine to create creamy sauces because they have a high fat content and a mild flavor that blends well with other ingredients. If you do not own a high-speed blender, soak them before blending for a creamier texture. They are a popular alternative for people with lactose intolerance.
- Shallots and garlic are cooked down until tender and then blended with the sauce ingredients, adding a delicious flavor.
See recipe card for quantities.
🧅 Substitutions
- Cashews - instead of cashews, use silken tofu for nut-free
- Miso - use 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast to replace the miso
- Shallots - use white onion instead as desired
- Asparagus - substitute with cauliflower or broccoli florets
- Chickpeas - use white beans instead (Great Northern, navy, butter, or cannellini)
See this Asparagus Salad recipe for a bright, no-cook dish that's perfect for barbecues, potlucks, and meal prep. For more easy and nutritious pasta dinner ideas, visit my Vegan Pasta Recipes page on this site.
📖 Instructions
Cook the pasta according to the directions on the packet until al dente.
Step 1. Heat the oil in a large skillet. Sauté the asparagus until just tender. Add the chickpeas, garlic, and crushed red pepper and cook for 2 more minutes, stirring constantly. Add the pasta and cook for one minute more, tossing constantly. Transfer to a dish.
Step 2. In the same skillet, cook the shallot and garlic for the Vegan Alfredo Sauce.
Step 3. Blend the shallot and garlic with the remaining sauce ingredients.
Step 4. Combine the asparagus, chickpeas, pasta, and Vegan Alfredo Sauce for serving, or refrigerate in separate containers for up to 4 days.
💡 Expert Tips
- For crunchier asparagus, cook the asparagus and chickpeas in batches to avoid overcrowding the skillet. Remove them from the skillet immediately and set aside to cool.
- For even crisper chickpeas, toss with olive oil and salt, and roast them separately (without the asparagus) for 15 minutes. Broil for an additional 2 minutes.
- Storage: Refrigerate the Vegan Alfredo Sauce, and Pasta with Asparagus, in two separate airtight containers for up to 4 days. Mix for serving throughout the week.
- Reheating: Reheat separately or together in a microwave, or saucepan. Or add the desired amount to cooked pasta, with some vegan cheese shreds on top, and reheat in the oven.
🙋🏽♀️ Recipe FAQ
Asparagus can be steamed, roasted, or blanched for pasta. To steam asparagus, place it in a steamer basket over boiling water for about 4-5 minutes until tender but still crisp. For roasting, toss the spears with some olive oil, salt, and pepper, and bake in the oven at 400°F for about 10 to 15 minutes. To blanch asparagus, boil a pot of salted water and cook the asparagus for about 1 to 2 minutes until tender but still crisp. Then shock it in a bowl of ice water to stop further cooking.
Many types of pasta work well with asparagus, but some popular choices include spaghetti, fettuccine, linguine, and penne. I used small penne.
Yes! You can make the pasta with asparagus ahead of time, as well as the vegan Alfredo sauce, and reheat it when ready to serve. Reheat separately or mixed, either in a saucepan on the stove over medium-low heat, in a microwave, or in an oven at 375ºF until warmed through.
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📖 Recipe
Pasta with Asparagus
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Ingredients
- 8 ounces dry pasta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil plus more as needed
- 12 ounces asparagus (about 20 spears)
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas drained, and rinsed (or 1 ½ cups cooked)
- 4 large garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper or to taste
- Vegan Alfredo Sauce
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the directions on the packet until al dente. Set aside.
- Cook asparagus: Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the asparagus for about 4 minutes, or until just tender.
- Add the chickpeas, garlic, and crushed red pepper and cook for 2 more minutes, stirring constantly. Add the pasta and cook for one minute more, tossing constantly, adding more oil as needed. (You may need to do this in batches to avoid overcrowding the skillet. Remove from the skillet and set aside to cool.
- Combine: Mix the cooked pasta, asparagus, and chickpeas with the vegan Alfredo Sauce for serving.
Notes
- Optional: For a greener asparagus, place in boiling water for one minute, and then plunge into a bowl of ice water for one minute.
Nutrition
This information is provided as a courtesy and is an ESTIMATE only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased can change the nutritional information in any given recipe.
Amalia C says
Hi Nisha,
We just finished eating this recipe as dinner. It was absolutely amazing, thank you very much!
Cheers,
Amalia
Nisha Melvani says
I am so glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for letting me know. Have a great week.