This lemon asparagus pasta is an easy 30-minute meal perfect for any night of the week! Pasta is tossed in a creamy, silky, lemony sauce with sautéed asparagus, shallots, & toasted almonds. It's a simple dinner recipe that everyone will love!
Creamy, lemony, therapeutic pasta with sautéed asparagus, shallots, and toasted almonds. Spring is finally here...I think. At least that's what I'm hoping because I think we're all about to go mental if the rain doesn't agree to a truce.
But even if the sun doesn't come out tomorrow you can bet your bottom dollar that we will still have this dreamy pasta to pull us through.
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🌟 Meet your new favorite pasta recipe!
Fun, twisted casarecce pasta is tossed with fresh, perfectly sautéed asparagus in a silky, creamy sauce finished off with a bright splash of lemon. What more do we need? Not much, except maybe a glass of wine to go with it.
This creamy lemon asparagus pasta is an awesome dinner to keep in your back pocket for:
- A quick and easy 30-minute weeknight meal that the whole family will love
- A fancy-ish stay-at-home date night meal, oooh-la-la
- A springtime holiday meal (perfect for Easter or Mother's Day)
- When you're on the hook to entertain and need a tasty, simple dinner idea that the whole gang will love. Your book club may end up wanting you to host every time, so just be ready.
- It's truly perfect for any occasion!
It's a springtime pasta that definitely gets all the likes and heart emojis.
🛒 Ingredients and suggestions
- Gluten-free pasta: The shape, and the type of pasta, is really up to you but casarecce pasta is definitely a good place to start. This short, twisted pasta with its curled edges and groove down the middle makes it perfect for the creamy lemony sauce to adhere to. Brand suggestion: Jovial Gluten-Free Casarecce
- Gluten-free all purpose flour: Used to create a roux that serves as a thickening agent for the dreamy, creamy lemon sauce. Brand suggestion: Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
- Sliced almonds: Toast the almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat, shaking the pan and stirring until just golden brown. They add the perfect finishing touch to this pasta. If you're allergic to nuts, the pasta will still be tasty without them.
- Soft goat cheese: Also known as chèvre. I LOVE using this cheese when making a creamy sauce. It easily melts into a perfect sauce-like consistency and is mild in flavor with just a slight tang. Herbed or plain goat cheese are both delish options for the sauce. Brand suggestion: LaClare Family Creamery or Montchevre
- Unsalted butter: I always use unsalted butter in my recipes so that I can control how much salt is in my food, and avoid the risk of my food being too salty.
For a full list of ingredients and quantities see the recipe card at the end of this post.
🔪 Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta until al dente.
Step 2: Reserve a cup of the pasta water in case you need to thin the creamy lemon sauce out at a later point.
Step 3: Melt butter in a large skillet.
Step 4: Sauté the asparagus and shallots for just a few minutes. Toss in some garlic and sauté for a couple more minutes. Then remove the asparagus mixture from the skillet and set it aside.
Step 5: In the same skillet used to cook the asparagus mixture, melt some butter and add some gluten-free all purpose flour.
Step 6: Then whisk, whisk, whisk, breaking up all of those little buttery flour clumps.
Step 7: Add broth and heavy cream, whisking all the while. Things are starting to get fun now.
Step 8: Add the goat cheese, whisking until smooth, silky, and creamy, and you begin to feel that inner pull to just dunk your face in it.
Step 9: Finish it off by adding a big splash of fresh lemon juice. The lemon gives the sauce a bright and cheery zing bringing some balance to the rich, creamy sauce.
Step 10: Add the cooked pasta and stir it all around until you go weak in the knees from excitement.
Step 11: Add the asparagus mixture and give it all another stir, until everything is coated in creamy bliss.
Step 12: Top with toasted slivered almonds. Eat and be happy.
👩🍳 Recipe tips
- Save the pasta water! Reserve just a cup or so of the pasta water in case you need it for later. Some like their creamy pasta sauce thicker and some like it thinner. Pasta water is the key to helping the cream sauce reach the perfect consistency. If the sauce is a little too thick after you've added the pasta and asparagus mixture to it, just add a few tablespoons of pasta water at a time until it reaches the perfect silky consistency that you enjoy.
- Don't overcook your pasta! Mushy pasta is not very tasty. Make sure you follow the cooking duration specified for 'al dente' pasta listed on your pasta packaging. Different shaped kinds of pasta require different cooking durations. It can also vary from brand to brand. The pasta will also continue cooking just a bit when added to the hot creamy lemon sauce which is another reason why we want to avoid overcooking it. ('Al dente' simply means that the pasta is cooked so as to be still firm to the bite but not undercooked.)
💭 Frequently asked questions
The end of an asparagus stalk is woody and fibrous, not something that is tasty to eat. The easiest way to remove the tough asparagus ends is to simply snap them off. Asparagus will naturally bend at the spot that should be removed. However, if you don't feel like snapping the ends, you can always just cut the ends off with a knife. Then, with your knife, continue cutting the asparagus into smaller bite-sized pieces.
Everyone loves a good time-saving hack but I wouldn't recommend cooking the asparagus with the pasta. The flavor gained from sauteeing the asparagus with the shallots, garlic, and butter will far exceed anything you'll get from boiling it with the pasta and it will maintain a crisp bite versus a potentially mushy bite.
Penne or farfalle (also known as bow-tie or butterfly pasta) would also be tasty short pasta options to try. If you prefer a long pasta, my recommendation would be linguine or fettuccine. Keep in mind that the sauce will adhere to different pasta shapes in different ways based on how 'groovy' the pasta is and whether or not bronze dies were used to cut the pasta into shape. Bronze die cut pasta gives the pasta a course texture allowing the sauce to better grip or coat the pasta.
Grilled salmon, shrimp, or chicken would be amazing. If you'd like to keep your meal vegetarian, this Arugula Spinach Salad with Winter Citrus would be divine as well.
When I'm stuck with a day that's grey and lonely I just stick up my chin and grin and say, oh...hey dreamy, creamy, lemony pasta! That's how the song goes right? ♡
🎥 Watch how to make this recipe!
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📖 Recipe
Lemon Asparagus Pasta
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4-6
Description
This Lemon Asparagus Pasta is an easy 30-minute meal perfect for any night of the week! Pasta is tossed in a creamy, silky, lemony sauce with sautéed asparagus, shallots, & toasted almonds. It's an over-the-top tasty dinner recipe that everyone will love!
Ingredients
- 12 oz. gluten-free casarecce pasta
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed, washed, and cut into bite-sized pieces
- ¾ cup finely chopped shallot
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 3 oz. soft goat cheese, plain or herbed, plus more for topping
- zest and juice of 1 lemon (about 3-4 tablespoons lemon juice)
- salt and pepper to taste
- ½ cup sliced almonds, toasted
Instructions
- Cook pasta: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta until al dente (still firm to the bite but not undercooked), reserving a cup of the pasta water. Once the pasta has finished cooking, drain pasta and set aside.
- Sauté veggies: Meanwhile, add 2 tablespoons butter to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the asparagus and shallots and cook for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Transfer the asparagus mixture from the skillet to a bowl and set aside.
- Make a roux: To the same skillet used to cook the asparagus, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add flour to the melted butter and whisk to combine.
- Add liquids to the roux: Begin slowly adding the broth in a steady stream to the roux while whisking continuously, breaking up any clumps of flour. Continuing to whisk, gradually add the heavy cream until the mixture becomes smooth and silky.
- Add cheese and lemon to the sauce: Add goat cheese to the sauce and continue stirring until the goat cheese has completely melted and the sauce is smooth once again. Finally, add lemon zest and lemon juice and stir to combine. Allow the sauce to simmer on low heat for a few minutes just until the sauce thickens to a desired consistency. If the sauce becomes too thick, thin it out by adding some of the reserved pasta water a little bit at a time until the desired consistency is reached. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Put it all together: Add the cooked pasta and asparagus mixture to the lemony cream sauce and stir to combine. Top with toasted almonds and serve!
Notes
Wondering what a roux is? It's simply flour and fat (in this case butter) cooked together and used to thicken sauces.
You may find different spelling variations for this particular shape of pasta. Even between Italian pasta companies, one will spell it "casarecce" while the other spells it "caserecce." Either way, when your mouth takes a bite of this creamy lemon pasta the importance of its spelling will just fade away.
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Boil, Sauté
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Gluten Free
Update Notes: This post was originally published in May 2017, but was re-published with updated photos, step-by-step instructions, recipe tips, and FAQs in May 2022.
Disclaimer: All brand recommendations are purely my own opinion. I am in no way sponsored by the brands mentioned or compensated by the brand for my recommendations. This post may also contain affiliate links which I may receive a small commission from (without any additional costs to you). The money earned from these commissions helps me to maintain this website. Thank you for your support!
Arlene Satz says
This dish was a big hit at our small dinner party. Prepping everything ahead of time gave me time to enjoy the company and not spend too much time in the kitchen. We brined chicken thighs and popped them in the oven. Loved the smooth delicate flavor of the goat cheese, married with the asparagus, pasta and toasted almonds.
Shannon Emery says
I'm so happy to hear Arlene! Pairing this recipe with baked chicken thighs sounds wonderful! Thanks for taking the time to leave your comment!
Amanda Mason says
Now this is my kind of recipe!!! I'm loving the sauce you created! Yea for 3 times the charm! This would be a perfect dinner for us during the week! Can't wait to try this one!
Kylie says
I have been looking for a new spring pasta recipe and it looks like I've found it!! Pinning for later - my family will love this recipe! Your photos are beautiful!
Marisa F. Stewart says
I've been on a asparagus binge -- Costco had some and they are so good. Plus I bought a huge bag of lemons. I love the smell and fresh taste that lemons give everything! And there isn't a pasta I don't like so this meal is absolutely perfect for our family!!.
Michelle says
This is such a gorgeous dish! We love asparagus and it's finally coming into season here soon, so I can't wait to make this x
Jenni LeBaron says
Yum! I love using fresh asparagus in pasta and I'm so glad that it's the perfect season for it right now too! This dish looks absolutely delicious!
Dominique says
What a perfect Spring recipe! I love the combination of lemon, asparagus and goat cheese with pasta. It's so fresh and complimentary... can't wait to try it!
Veena Azmanov says
Such amazing dishes are a feast to my family. I love trying new recipes for them. This one looks delicious and creamy. Love it
Anna says
I'm so excited for the asparagus season! This dish looks and sounds so beautiful and sooo tasty, the combo of flavours is just great! And I love that pasta shape, never tried it, but definitely going to look out for it when I'm doing my food shopping next time!
Viktoria Radichkova says
What a fantastic idea! I am totally making this tonight! I really needed some inspiration for back to school nights, and this seems perfect! Thanks!!!
Shannon says
I hope you enjoy it Viktoria! And how did back-to-school creep up on us so fast!?
Lindsay says
Yum, yum, YUM!!! I'd gladly eat that 5 days in a row! We have asparagus coming out of our ears and I'm slowly trying to cook it out of the fridge to make room for some other things. I absolutely love pairing it with lemon flavors and a goat cheese sauce over pasta with it sounds amazing! You've got a winner here, Shannon 🙂
Shannon says
Thank you Lindsay! ❤
Theresa says
My family really enjoyed this recipe! (I didn't make it gluten-free ) I did a Google search for casarecce and your recipe came up. I mixed in 4 oz of herbed goat cheese. I also added some cubed rotisserie chicken. The family requested more asparagus next time. We topped with Pecorino Romano and I think it would be great topped with basil.