This broccoli asparagus pasta is the perfect balance of healthy greens and sumptuous pasta for a cosy comfort food dinner. A vegan pasta dish that combines herbs, garlic and olive oil for lots of flavour. Perfect as an easy weeknight meal!
Pasta is always a go-to in my home, and definitely a favourite with readers here on the blog. We have so many vegan pasta dishes for you to enjoy, so if you're looking for more to add to your menu then check out my tasty vegan cauliflower alfredo and creamy tahini and broccoli pasta. Both cosy comfort food and so easy to make!
This asparagus spaghetti dish makes the most of this seasonal vegetable, and flavours it with a creamy green sauce and a big handful of fresh herbs. It's a comfort food dinner I think will have the kids eating their greens!
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Why you'll love this recipe
Tasty 'green' comfort food. This is the healthy dish packed with green veg and leafy greens that feels quite indulgent!
Versatile. You can really 'up' the flavour to taste preference with more garlic and herbs, if you like a 'bigger' taste.
So easy to make. A very simple recipe, with very easy steps, making it perfect for a weeknight meal.
Ingredients
For the full ingredients list, see the recipe card below. Some notes on a few of them:
- Spaghetti - I like spaghetti for this recipe, as it almost feels like a 'green bolognese'. I mean not really, but you know what I mean?! Any kind of pasta should work well though, so use the type that you have to hand.
- Broccoli - you can use regular broccoli, or as I often use, broccolini for this recipe.
- Kale - optional, and you could also use kalettes.
- Coriander - I know this is a 'love it or hate' it kind of herb. So use if you are the former, or swap out for basil if the latter!
- Garlic - this is one of the 'bigger' flavours in this fairly subtle sauce, so increase the quantity to preference. The sauce can handle a few more cloves if you are a lover of garlic!
Variations on the recipe
As above, you can easily use another type of pasta in place of spaghetti, as well as broccolini in place of broccoli.
Both asparagus and broccoli are quite subtle in terms of flavour and personally I love this aspect of the sauce. For those who like a bigger punchy taste though, I would suggest adding more garlic and/or herbs than the recipe suggests.
Step by step instructions
This spring asparagus pasta with broccoli has a few steps, but all are easy to do. I suggest prepping the vegetables and herbs just before you start to cook to make it quick and easy!
Step 1
Prepare the asparagus by holding the spears at each end and bending until they snap. Keep the end with the flower, and discard the more woody fibrous end.
Step 2
Cook the spaghetti (or pasta you are using) in salted water according to packet instructions.
Step 3
While the pasta is cooking, fry the onion and garlic in a pan in olive oil for 3-4 minutes. Add the broccoli, asparagus and kale and cook for a further 5-6 minutes until fork tender but so that the asparagus still has a 'bite' to it.
Step 4
Add half the broccoli mixture to a food processor along with the non-dairy milk, herbs, apple cider vinegar (if using), salt and pepper. Blend to a sauce.
Recipe tip: stir the vegetable mixture fairly frequently, and have on a lower heat initially, to ensure the garlic doesn't burn.
Step 5
Transfer the pasta to your pan, but keep the pasta water. Pour the broccoli sauce into the pan.
Step 6
Use tongs to stir the sauce and combine into the pasta. If the pasta seems too dry add a spoonful of the pasta water to the pan, a spoon at a time, to the consistency you prefer.
Recipe tips
- Keep the heat fairly low when initially cooking the onion and garlic to help prevent the garlic from burning.
- Add more herbs and garlic for a 'bigger' taste. This recipe is quite subtle and more about the flavour of the broccoli and asparagus.
- If the sauce feels too thick, add some of the reserved pasta water a spoonful at a time to the consistency of preference.
- A good drizzle of olive oil to serve is lovely.
More pasta recipes to enjoy
You will find lots of comfort food ideas on the pasta recipe page, but some recent tasty recipes to try out:
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Broccoli asparagus pasta
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups broccoli diced, or broccolini
- 1 cup asparagus diced
- small handful kale shredded
- 1 small white onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced or finely diced
- ½ cup coriander and/or parsley
- 6 ounces spaghetti or other pasta
- ½ cup non-dairy milk
- 2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar optional
- pinch salt
- pinch black pepper optional
Instructions
- Prepare the asparagus by snapping, and discarding the woody ends. See above in the post for more details.
- Cook the pasta according to packet instructions.
- While the pasta is cooking, fry the onion and garlic in a pan in olive oil for 3-4 minutes. Add the broccoli, asparagus and kale and cook for a further 5-6 minutes until fork tender but so that the asparagus still has a 'bite' to it.
- Add half the broccoli mixture to a food processor along with the non-dairy milk, herbs, apple cider vinegar (if using), salt and pepper. Blend to a sauce.
- Use tongs to transfer the cooked pasta to the pan with the broccoli mixture, and spoon the sauce into the pan also. Stir well to combine. If it seems a little dry add some of the pasta water, a spoonful at a time to the consistency of your preference.
- Plate up the pasta and sprinkle with more herbs, and a drizzle of olive oil if you like. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- Prepare the asparagus so you don't use the woody fibrous end. See the recipe steps in the post for more details.
- Adjust the amount of herbs and garlic to preference. This sauce has quite a subtle taste, so increase quantities if you like more garlic.
- Reserve the pasta water and add to the sauce if it seems too dry or you prefer a less thick consistency.
- Swap out the pasta for a gluten free alternative pasta if required.
- Apple cider vinegar, which scores 1.
- Garlic, which scores 1.
- Wheat (pasta), which scores 1.
- Kale isn't rated on the SIGHI list.
- Coriander, which scores 0 but has a ? as a liberator. There is a note 'only small amounts are well tolerated'.
- Non-dairy milk has variable scores.
- Black pepper, which scores 2.
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