Creamy Vegan Spring Pasta

Super creamy and decadent creamy vegan pasta with mixed spring vegetables! This creamy Spring pasta is oil-free, and a huge crowd-pleaser!

My favorite spring time produce are asparagus, peas, lemons, and parsley. This delicious pasta is packed with all of those along with mushrooms and zucchini which make wonderful additions.

How to Make Creamy Vegan Spring Pasta

I eat mainly a whole foods plant-based diet, so I try avoid oil in every homemade meal. I wanted to make this pasta super creamy without all the oil, and the coconut cream and cashews were perfect ingredients for that. While this pasta isn’t exactly low in fat, these two ingredients are both whole fats; so I would still consider this healthy, but have this dish for the occasional, indulgent treat. If you want to make it even healthier, you can use whole wheat pasta for a complete whole foods approach.

My tip for working with coconut cream: when buying canned coconut cream, the liquid usually settles at the bottom and the cream rises to the top. To get the right measurement of coconut cream, pour the entire can into a food processor or blender to mix it thoroughly together. Once smooth, measure out amount needed and add the rest to a mason jar or container and store in the fridge.

Important Note: If you don’t have a high-powered blender, soak your cashews either overnight or for AT LEAST an hour before making this recipe; otherwise, your sauce is going to be chunky and not smooth (you won’t get the desired consistency).

For measurements of vegetables, I did some in grams for the ones that are hard to measure accurately by cups. I used a simple food scale to do this. I would highly recommend getting one for a kitchen staple.

I hope you make this pasta and see how delicious it is for yourself. If you do, make sure to tag me on Instagram @crueltyfreecrystal or hashtag #crueltyfreecrystal so I can see your creations!

Print

Creamy Vegan Spring Pasta

Ingredients

Sauce Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup coconut cream
• 1/4 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 cup cashews raw, soaked
• 1/4 cup dry white wine Chardonnay
• juice of half a large lemon
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• zest of half a large lemon
• 2 cloves minced garlic

Pasta Ingredients:

• 200 grams asparagus
• 200 grams sliced baby bella mushrooms
• 2 medium zucchini
• 1 cup steamed peas
• 1 tbsp vegetable broth
• 1 lb fettuccine pasta
• fresh parsley for garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 

2. While the oven is preheating, chop about an inch off the ends of the asparagus.

   On a parchment paper lined baking tray, spread out the asparagus. Squeeze about 2 tablespoons of lemon juice from the lemon you will use for the sauce on the asparagus with some cracked pepper and salt.

   Add the asparagus to the oven and bake for 8-9 minutes. You want the asparagus to be fork-tender, but not limp.

3. While the asparagus is roasting, put all sauce ingredients in a high-powered blender (a food processor will not work here) and blend until smooth. There should be no lumps from the cashews. 

4. Once the asparagus is done, take out of the oven and slice into bite-sized pieced. Set aside. 

5. At this point, I would make sure my zucchini was chopped and my mushrooms were sliced.

6. Start cooking pasta according to packaging instructions.

7. While the pasta is cooking, steam your peas (I used frozen peas and steamed them in the microwave). 

8. While the pasta is still cooking and your peas are steaming, add the vegetable broth to a large nonstick pan over medium heat and add in the chopped zucchini. Cook the zucchini until the vegetable broth is fully absorbed and the zucchini is slightly browned.

9. Next, add in sliced mushrooms. Mushrooms contain a lot of water, so I did not add any more vegetable broth. Cook for about 2 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. 

10. At this point, turn off the heat. Add the peas, asparagus, and sauce to the pan. Mix thoroughly. 

11. Once pasta is done cooking, drain and add to the pan. Mix everything together.

12. Serve the pasta and top with fresh parsley and lemon zest. Enjoy!

For more vegan recipes like this one, visit https://crueltyfreecrystal.com/category/eat/recipes/

Commentary: To save money for this dish, I order my cashews and coconut cream from Thrive Market. You can save 25% off your first order at Thrive, by clicking my link here: http://thrv.me/CrueltyFreeCrystal

I am in no way sponsored by Thrive Market, this is just my honest opinion.