Description
A bright, fresh vegan pasta dish featuring tender asparagus, a zesty lemon sauce, and delicate pea shoots.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 oz pasta (linguine or spaghetti)
- 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 cup pea shoots, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup raw cashews, soaked in hot water for 15 minutes
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup reserved pasta water
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to package directions. During the last 3 minutes of cooking, add the asparagus pieces to the boiling water with the pasta.
- Reserve 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta water before draining the pasta and asparagus. Set aside.
- While the pasta cooks, prepare the sauce. Drain the soaked cashews.
- Combine the drained cashews, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, garlic, lemon zest, salt, and pepper in a high-speed blender. Add 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water. Blend until completely smooth and creamy. Add more pasta water, one tablespoon at a time, if the sauce is too thick.
- Return the drained pasta and asparagus to the pot over low heat. Pour the cashew cream sauce over the pasta. Toss gently to coat everything evenly.
- Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the chopped pea shoots until they just begin to wilt.
- Divide the pasta among serving bowls. Drizzle with a little extra olive oil before serving.
Notes
- Soaking the cashews ensures the sauce becomes perfectly smooth. If you forget to soak them, boil them for 5 minutes instead.
- Pea shoots are delicate; add them last, off the heat, to maintain their texture and color.
- For a richer flavor, add 1 tablespoon of white miso paste to the blender with the sauce ingredients.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 15 min
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 4
- Sodium: 350
- Fat: 14
- Saturated Fat: 2
- Unsaturated Fat: 12
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 70
- Fiber: 6
- Protein: 18
- Cholesterol: 0