Spring Garden Vegetable Pasta
This fresh pasta dish is loaded with seasonal vegetables and a light lemon sauce that tastes just like springtime.
recipesbynani.comThere is nothing quite like the first taste of spring produce after a long winter. This pasta is one of my favorite ways to celebrate the season because it uses tender greens and crisp vegetables to create a meal that feels light and satisfying all at once.
My best tip for this recipe is to add the vegetables during the last minute of the pasta cooking time. This saves you an extra pot to wash and keeps the greens perfectly bright and crisp.
🧺 Ingredients
- 1 pound bowtie pasta
- 2 cups fresh asparagus, chopped into one inch pieces
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, torn
- Salt and black pepper to taste
👩🍳Instructions
- 1
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- 2
Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions.
- 3
During the final minute of boiling, add the asparagus and peas to the pot with the pasta.
- 4
Drain the pasta and vegetables together, reserving about a half cup of the cooking water.
- 5
Return the pasta and vegetables to the pot over low heat.
- 6
Stir in the olive oil, minced garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, and parmesan cheese.
- 7
Add a splash of the reserved pasta water to make the sauce silky and coat the noodles.
- 8
Toss in the cherry tomatoes and fresh basil, then season with salt and pepper before serving.
💡 Tips
You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. If the pasta seems dry when you reheat it, just add a small squeeze of fresh lemon juice or a tiny splash of water to bring the sauce back to life.
Made this recipe? Let us know how it went.
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