The sun is finally out, the air is finally warmer, and the birds came back from their winter trip. Spring is here and it’s been a while since I’ve had a refreshing bowl of springtime spaghetti.
I’ve been making several spring-appropriate recipes including spring vegetable fried rice and spring vegetable soup to celebrate the season. A springtime spaghetti just made sense.
I wanted to keep things simple and energizing, so I used ingredients including light-and-thin spaghetti, freshly squeezed lemon juice, lemon zest, and tomatoes.
I’ve used both cherry and grape tomatoes in this springtime spaghetti recipe before and they are both suitable. However, if you prefer a sweeter and juicier tomato, I recommend using cherry tomatoes. Grape tomatoes have a thicker flesh and are more tart.
I also opted for thin, whole-wheat spaghetti to emphasize the flavors from the other ingredients. Feel free to go for your favorite pasta. Other pasta types that do well in this recipe include farfalle and penne.
Gluten-free pasta works, too.
It’s the perfect quick and easy weeknight or weekday dinner meal that takes minutes to whip up, this is the recipe you should make!
Springtime Spaghetti Ingredients
- Thin Spaghetti – I chose whole wheat thin spaghetti to emphasize the other ingredients in this recipe. Also, to keep this dish relatively light.
- Vegan Butter – I always use plant-based Melt Organic butter. It’s soft, creamy, and has a mild flavor. It’s my favorite vegan butter brand, but choose what you enjoy and have access to. If you opt-out of vegan butter, olive oil works too.
- Asparagus – A spring-appropriate vegetable! Be sure to snap off their woody stems, give them a rinse, and chop them up. Both thin and thick asparagus work for this dish – just depends on what you prefer.
- Grape Tomatoes – Tomatoes will give a pop of color, juiciness, and flavor to the dish. Choose either grape or cherry tomatoes.
- Garlic – To my garlic fans: you’re going to love this recipe! We’re not holding back on the garlic.
- Lemon Zest – A pick-me-up boost of flavor. Lemon zest is a great way to amplify the lemony flavor profile of this dish.
- Lemon Juice – Go for freshly squeezed!
- Parsley – Optional, but parsley adds a nice flavor and color to the dish.
If you’re looking for a creamy pasta recipe, go for our classic vegan mac and cheese or creamy pesto gnocchi.
Spring Lemon Garlic Spaghetti With Asparagus
Ingredients
- 8 ounces thin spaghetti
- 2 tablespoon vegan butter (reserve 1 tablespoon for instructions #3)
- 1 cup asparagus (trimmed, ends removed, chopped)
- 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes halved
- Salt
- 6 cloves of garlic crushed
- Lemon zest
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- Chopped parsley to garnish, optional
Instructions
- Cook the spaghetti according to the package’s instructions in a pot of salted water. Drain and set aside.
- In a skillet over medium heat, add butter. Next, add the asparagus, tomatoes, and a pinch of salt. Cook for 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic. Cook and for an additional 30 seconds.
- Add spaghetti, lemon zest, lemon juice, and butter. Toss all together until butter has melted.
- Remove from heat and garnish with parsley (optional).
Notes
- Either grape or cherry tomatoes work for this. However, keep in mind their textures and flavors differ. Grape tomatoes have thicker flesh, more tart, and less sweet. On the other hand, cherry tomatoes are juicer and sweeter. I used grape tomatoes, but cherry tomatoes work really great in this recipe!
- I used asparagus that came with their woody ends/stalks chopped off. However, be sure to remove their ends and trim them prior to introducing them into the recipe.
Did you try out this Spring Lemon Garlic Spaghetti With Asparagus recipe?
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