This lemon garlic asparagus pasta is so cheesy and delicious and just bursting with flavor. It makes a perfect easy weeknight dinner and comes together in less than 30 minutes.
When you want something quick and easy but crazy delicious for dinner then this cheesy garlic lemon asparagus pasta is exactly what you’re looking for.
It’s so delicious it’s like you got it from the best restaurant, but you made it yourself, in less than 30 minutes too!
And if you love restaurant quality pasta recipes ready in 30 minutes or less then you’ll also love our homemade alfredo pasta and our red curry pasta.
Ingredients You’ll Need For This Asparagus Pasta Recipe:
Ingredient Notes
- Pasta – you can use any pasta that you have on hand, but I prefer the long thin pasta shapes for this, like spaghetti, linguine or tagliatelle. We used linguine.
- Asparagus stalks – should be fresh and very firm.
- Lemon juice – should ideally be freshly squeezed. You can use the same lemons for the lemon juice and the lemon zest.
- Parmesan – should be freshly grated.
How To Make Asparagus Pasta
Full instructions and measurements can always be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.
- Cook the pasta. Put the pasta on to cook according to package instructions. When cooked, reserve ½ cup of pasta water (to use later) and then drain and rinse the pasta and set aside.
- Prepare the asparagus. While the pasta is cooking, get started on your asparagus. Cut the hard woody ends off the stalks of asparagus and throw those away. Then cut the asparagus stalks into 4 pieces. Leave the tips whole and slice the remaining pieces lengthways.
- Add olive oil to a pot on medium heat and when hot, add the chopped asparagus and salt and sauté for a minute.
- Add butter, crushed garlic, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, lemon juice and ground black pepper and sauté for a few minutes until the asparagus is al dente (3-5 minutes).
Top Tip: Make sure you don’t overcook the asparagus. It should be firm but cooked.
- Add the cooked pasta and grated parmesan along with a little of the reserved pasta water and gently toss together.
- Add more of the reserved pasta water as needed to make sure the pasta is well coated and not dry.
Serving Suggestions
Serve topped with grated parmesan, fresh chopped parsley and ground black pepper with lemon wedges on the side for a truly delicious and satisfying meal.
A side salad is also a great idea, especially if you need the meal to go further. Try our Greek salad for a great pairing.
Recipe FAQ
You can absolutely make this recipe gluten free. Just use a gluten free pasta and you’re all set.
If you’d like a dairy free version of this asparagus pasta then simply replace the butter and parmesan with dairy free versions. Dairy free butter brands like Earth Balance or Miyokos will work great. Violife has a great vegan parmesan cheese, but any vegan parmesan cheese brand will work.
Storing Tips
Asparagus pasta stores really well in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can reheat in the microwave, squeeze some fresh lemon on top and enjoy!
It’s not ideal for freezing.
More Easy 30 Minute Vegetarian Pasta Recipes
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below.
Asparagus Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Pasta (226g) Dry Weight
- 12 ounces Asparagus 1 Bunch, ~340g
- ½ teaspoon Sea Salt
- ⅓ cup Butter (75g)
- 4 cloves Garlic Crushed
- ½ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon Zest
- 2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice Freshly Squeezed
- ½ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- ½ cup Parmesan Cheese Freshly Grated
- ½ cup Pasta Water (120ml) Reserved after cooking the pasta
Serving:
- Parmesan Cheese Freshly Grated
- Fresh Chopped Parsley
- Ground Black Pepper
- Lemon Wedges
Instructions
- Cook the pasta. Put the pasta on to cook according to package instructions. When cooked, reserve ½ cup of pasta water (to use later) and then drain and rinse the pasta and set aside.
- Prepare the asparagus. While the pasta is cooking, get started on your asparagus. Cut the hard woody ends off the stalks of asparagus and throw those away. Then cut the asparagus stalks into 4 pieces. Leave the tips whole and slice the remaining pieces lengthways.
- Add olive oil to a pot over medium heat and when hot, add the chopped asparagus and salt and sauté for a minute.
- Add butter, crushed garlic, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, lemon juice and ground black pepper and sauté for a few minutes until the asparagus is al dente (3-5 minutes).
- Add the cooked pasta and grated parmesan along with a little of the reserved pasta water and gently toss together.
- Add more of the reserved pasta water as needed to make sure the pasta is well coated and not dry.
- Serve topped with grated parmesan, fresh chopped parsley and ground black pepper with lemon wedges on the side.
Notes
- Pasta – you can use any pasta that you have on hand, but I prefer the long thin pasta shapes for this, like spaghetti, linguine or tagliatelle. We used linguine.
- Storing – keep leftovers stored in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave.
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