Nothing says springtime like freshly steamed asparagus.  This pasta is full of bright lemon flavor and comforting vegan parmesan cheese. It’s the perfect make-ahead side dish for a picnic or cook out.

Asparagus is such a beautiful vegetable.  Fibrous yet delicate, assertive in its tallness and bright greenness, it is a bold harbinger of spring and early summer.  In this recipe, asparagus pairs delightfully with the tartness of fresh lemon and the creamy tang of vegan parmesan cheese.

This pasta dish is so easy to make, and it’s the perfect side dish for a picnic or a cook out.  It’s a great dish to bring along to a potluck.  It’s completely gluten free, dairy free, and vegan.  It’s also Low-FODMAP and low in cholesterol.  It’s a delicious serving of healthy carbohydrates and heart healthy asparagus.

When I was a teenager, there was a small gourmet market that made prepared foods to go.  This lemon asparagus pasta dish was my favorite, and I could down an entire container of it just standing in front of the fridge.  Back then, of course, the version I ate was full of gluten and dairy.  It took years to replicate the same taste, because there just wasn’t a good vegan parmesan cheese out on the market yet.  But there are so many amazing vegan cheese products now, including a vegan parmesan cheese from the 365 brand of Whole Foods that tastes like the real thing.  I’m so happy to be eating this pasta again, and I’m so happy that I can share one of my favorite food memories with you.

Why You’ll LOVE this Recipe:

• Gluten Free
• Vegan
• Low-FODMAP
• Low Cholesterol
• Good source of fiber
• Great source of Vitamin K
• Quick and easy to make
• Can be prepared ahead of time

Ingredients for Lemon Asparagus Pasta – Vegan, Gluten Free:

• Gluten Free Farfalle Pasta
• asparagus
• lemon
• olive oil
• fresh lemon juice
• kosher salt
• black pepper
• vegan parmesan cheese

Notes on Ingredients:

Gluten Free Farfalle Pasta – You can try different shapes, but Farfalle (the bow ties) really works best.  It catches the lemon zest and the parmesan and acts like hands to cradle the delicate asparagus.  I like the Jovial brand of Farfalle best.

Asparagus – It’s worth waiting for asparagus season to make this recipe.  You want fresh, perky asparagus with a deep green color.  Be careful not to overcook it – asparagus can get limp really fast.

Lemon – One lemon is all you need here.  Use a microplane zester to get the sweetness of the peel without the bitterness of the rind.  You don’t really want to be able to see the lemon in the pasta, just taste it.

Olive oil – Use the best quality olive oil you have.  Since you’re not cooking the oil, use a higher quality fruity olive oil for the best taste.

Fresh lemon juice – You only need the juice of half a lemon.  A little goes a long way in this recipe.

Kosher salt – The salt ties everything together.  If you feel you want to add more, add a little at a time and taste as you go.

Black pepper – Don’t overdo it.  Just a pinch does the trick. 

Vegan parmesan cheese – This is really the ingredient that brings the whole dish together.  I found the 365 brand of vegan parmesan cheese at Whole Foods to work perfectly.  If you’re avoiding regular cheese because you’re on a Low-FODMAP diet, you might experiment with seeing how you tolerate regular parmesan cheese.  Parmesan cheese has some of the lowest amounts of lactose of all the dairy foods, so it might be more easily tolerated than higher lactose foods like milk.  As always, know your body and eat what makes YOU feel good.

How to Make Lemon Asparagus Pasta From Scratch

If you can boil pasta, you can make this recipe that will have everyone complimenting you on your culinary prowess.  The only hard part is not overcooking the asparagus.  That’s it. 

First, boil the pasta in salted water according the box’s instructions.  It’s usually about 12 minutes.  Once the pasta is cooked, drain it in a strainer in the sink, and run cold water over it until the pasta is cool to the touch. 

It’s important to have all of the ingredients cold when you mix them together – otherwise, you’ll melt the cheese and overcook the asparagus.  The goal is a crisp pasta salad, not mush.

While the pasta is cooking, steam the asparagus.  Please use a steamer basket if you can.  It does make a big difference, the asparagus stays crispier and doesn’t get mushy so fast. 

I found that the asparagus wasn’t cooked quite yet after 5 minutes, but after 8 minutes, it was getting too soft.  I recommend setting the timer for 5 minutes.  Then, remove the asparagus from the heat and transfer them to a strainer in the sink.  Remember that food holds heat, so it will continue cooking as you’re removing it from the heat and putting it in a strainer in the sink.  You want the asparagus to be fork tender but not mushy.  It should still have some bite to it. 

Once the asparagus is in the strainer, run cold water over it until it is cool.  If you want to be super professional about this step, use an ice bath.  How?  Put some ice cubes in a large bowl and cover the ice with cold water.  Plunge the steaming asparagus into the ice bath for about 5 seconds and then remove.

Chop the asparagus into 2-inch length segments. 

Put the cooked pasta in a large bowl.  Add the asparagus. 

Use a microplane zester to zest the lemon on top of the pasta and asparagus.  We’re using a microplane here, because we don’t want thick strands of lemon rind that will be bitter and chewy.  We just want the tart lemon flavor.

Add the olive oil and the lemon juice.  You only need the juice of half a lemon.  Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.  Add the salt and pepper.  Don’t use too much pepper.

Gently toss everything together with a spoon until well combined.  More than “toss,” you want to fold the ingredients gently together.  Remember, we want crisp asparagus. 

Finally, add the shredded parmesan.  Once again, fold in the parmesan, and it’s ready to serve.

Store this pasta dish in the fridge until ready to serve.  It’s best when it’s cold. Enjoy!