Easy Lemon Asparagus Pasta with Walnuts & Capers | Vegetarian Spring Meal - TastyFlow

Serves

Cook Time

15 min

Total Time

25 min

Main Course

No items found.

American 🇺🇸

No items found.

Bright, fresh, and full of flavor, this Lemon Asparagus Pasta is perfect for a light and healthy meal! With zesty lemon, tender asparagus, and Mediterranean-inspired ingredients like capers and olives, this dish is as vibrant as it is delicious. Follow Chef Healthy Henry for a quick, plant-based pasta that‚‘s perfect for any season! This is a great dish especially if you can get fresh semolina pasta. The Castelvetrano olives are Italian olives that have a more sweet and buttery taste. You can find them on amazon or at a health food store. I got the pitted ones. The combination of the pasta water and nutritional yeast gives it a comfort food texture.

Ingredients

10 oz spaghetti or fettuccine  
2 large lemons juiced zest from lemons (divided) 
5 tbls olive oil Salt and black pepper 
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tbls olive oil 
2 shallots thinly sliced 
4 garlic cloves thinly sliced 
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes 
14oz asparagus sliced on bias into 1-in pieces 
1/2c toasted walnuts, crushed  
3 tbls nutritional yeast 
1/2c flat-leaf parsley, chopped 
1/2c fresh basil, julienned 
3 tbls capers 
1/2c Castelvetrano olives, halved 
1-15oz can navy beans rinsed and drained
Cherry tomatoes for garnish

Directions

Add pasta to a large pot of boiling water, cook until just al dente. Drain, reserving 1c of pasta water.
In a medium bowl, combine 4 tbls of lemon juice, Dijon mustard,1 tsp salt and black pepper. Drizzle in 5 tbls olive oil.
In a medium sauté pan heat 1 1/2 tbls olive oil over medium heat.
Add shallots and garlic. Cook 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the red pepper flakes cook for more 30 seconds.  
Add asparagus and 1/2 of the lemon zest.
Add salt and pepper.
Cook 3 minutes until the asparagus is crisp-tender.
Remove from heat.
Add pasta and Lemon Sauce to the pan.
Add walnuts, nutritional yeast, and 1/2 cup of pasta water.  
Return pan to medium-high heat. Use tongs to vigorously toss, shaking the pan.
Add more pasta water as needed, until the sauce clings to the pasta.  
Add remaining lemon zest, basil, parsley, capers, olives, and white beans.
Garnish with fresh cherry tomatoes, salt, and pepper and finish with a drizzle of olive oil.
Serve immediately.