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Our Creamy Asparagus Pasta is a tasty mix of fresh veggies and hearty pasta, all coated in a light, creamy sauce. It’s a healthy and flavorful meal that’s sure to become a favorite at your dinner table!
An Easy & Creamy Asparagus Pasta Recipe
There’s something inherently comforting about a bowl of creamy pasta. 🍝 And when you add fresh vegetables to the mix, the result is nothing short of dinner magic. This is where my Creamy Asparagus Pasta comes in, a dish that manages to be both soul-pleasing and packed with some goodness.
In this recipe, farfalle pasta is tossed with asparagus and peas, all combined with a creamy yet surprisingly light sauce. The creaminess of the sauce is prepared with a simple blend of chicken broth, skim milk, and a dollop of cream cheese, which perfectly complements the tender crunch of the veggies and the chewy pasta.
Whether you’re whipping this up for a quick weeknight dinner or serving it as a crowd-pleaser at a gathering, this creamy asparagus pasta never fails to impress.
Why We Love This Pasta Recipe
- Healthy Vegetarian Recipe: It’s a great fusion of health and indulgence, allowing you to enjoy creamy pasta packed with protein and fresh vegetables.
- Creamy: Though creamy and luscious, the sauce is lightened up to for a guilt-free pleasure.
- Quick: Perfect for busy nights and weeknight dinners when you need something fast and delicious.
- Gourmet: Makes for an impressive meal to serve to guests or for special occasions.
- Veggie-Packed: It’s a fantastic way to make the most of the fresh asparagus available during the spring season.
How To Make Creamy Pasta With Asparagus
Ingredients
- farfalle pasta
- fresh asparagus and green peas
- onion & garlic
- all-purpose flour
- chicken broth & milk
- cream cheese and parmesan cheese
Directions
I’m telling you, this is some great stuff here, and I can’t wait for you to try it. The best part is that we can have pasta and feel good about it. Goodbye guilt, hello healthy pasta dinner!
- Add pasta to boiling water and cook for 7 minutes or until al dente. Drain.
- In the meantime, prepare the sauce and heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook until tender.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine flour and chicken broth; whisk until thoroughly incorporated. Add broth mixture to the onion mixture in the pan. Whisk in milk; continue to whisk constantly and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat and cook for 1 more minute or until thickened. Stir in the cream cheese; stir until melted. Stir in the grated parmesan cheese and remove from heat—season with salt and pepper.
- Add pasta and vegetables to the sauce; stir until completely combined and serve.
How To Trim Asparagus
- Glad you asked! Start by locating where the pale white shade of the stalk morphs into a fresh, vibrant green. That’s your cue to cut. You might have heard of the snap method, where you break off the ends, but let me tell you, this method often means bidding goodbye to more of the edible part of the asparagus than you’d want. So, it’s cutting all the way for us! 👍
Tips and Swaps
- Asparagus: For a better texture and vibrant color, snap off the woody ends before adding them to the pasta.
- Peas: You can use fresh, canned, or frozen peas in this dish. You don’t have to thaw them if they are frozen.
- Pasta: Farfalle Pasta can be replaced with classic pasta, whole wheat pasta, or gluten-free pasta.
- Dairy-Free: For a vegan version of this dish, replace skim milk and cream cheese with non-dairy alternatives.
What To Serve With Asparagus Pasta
This Creamy Asparagus Pasta is a tasty dish on its own, but it can also be paired with various sides to make a complete meal. Here are some suggestions:
- Salads: A crisp, refreshing salad would make a great counterpoint to the creamy pasta. Consider this Tomato Burrata Salad.
- Roasted Vegetables: Veggies like these roasted Brussels sprouts or honey garlic butter carrots provide a nice contrast in textures.
- Protein: If you’d like, add this spatchcock grilled chicken to your menu, or how about some sautéed garlic shrimp or roasted mahi mahi would all pair well with this pasta dish.
How To Store Creamy Pasta
- Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days.
- Reheat in the microwave or on the stove over low heat. If needed, add a splash of milk to restore the creamy consistency.
More Asparagus Recipes
- Couscous with Asparagus
- Roasted Asparagus Soup
- Garlic Butter Asparagus Pasta
- Cheesy Asparagus Stuffed Chicken
- Baked Sockeye Salmon with Asparagus
ENJOY!
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Creamy Asparagus Pasta
Ingredients
- water for boiling pasta
- 1 box (14.5 oz.) Farfalle Pasta
- 1 pound asparagus,, cut into two-inch pieces, ends trimmed and discarded
- 1 cup green peas,, frozen or fresh
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small onion,, finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic,, minced
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup skim milk
- 2 ounces cream cheese,, room temperature
- 3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
- salt and fresh ground black pepper,, to taste
- fresh chopped parsley,, for garnish
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta to the boiling water and cook for 6 minutes; add the asparagus and peas to the pot and continue to cook for 3 more minutes or until al dente. Drain.
- In the meantime, prepare the sauce and heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until tender.
- In a small mixing bowl combine flour and chicken broth; whisk until thoroughly incorporated.
- Add the broth mixture to the onion mixture in the pan. Whisk in the milk; continue to whisk constantly and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for 1 more minute, or until thickened.
- Whisk in the cream cheese; stir until melted. Stir in the grated parmesan cheese and remove from heat—season with salt and pepper.
- Add the pasta and vegetables to the sauce; stir until completely combined.
- Remove from heat, garnish with parsley, and serve.
Notes
- Asparagus: Cut or snap off and discard the woody ends before adding the asparagus to the pasta.
- Peas: Use fresh, canned, or frozen peas. You don’t have to thaw them if they are frozen.
- Pasta: Farfalle Pasta can be replaced with classic, whole wheat, or gluten-free pasta. Great subs for farfalle are shells, orecchiette, mini penne, or small rigatoni.
- Cream Cheese: The cream cheese needs to be at room temperature so that it blends and melts perfectly. If cold, it will curdle and not mix well with the other liquid.
- Dairy-Free: You can replace skim milk and cream cheese with non-dairy alternatives for a vegan version of this dish.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
So fast and easy! Delicious and a great way to use the asparagus I bought on sale. Thanks for the recipe!
This was good and very easy to make. I agree with the posters who said to double the sauce – there is a lot of pasta here. I made it with veggie broth and vegan parmesan to make it vegetarian. I did have some difficulty getting the cream cheese to melt into the sauce, so it was a little lumpy, even though the cream cheese was at room temperature. The red onion made the sauce look different than is in the photos. Thanks for the recipe!
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Made this with a 1 lb box of medium shell pasta. Used twice the amount of sauce ingredients but kept onions and garlic the same. Great recipe! Family devoured it for dinner. Thanks for sharing!
I am very glad you and your family enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
I am an absolute beginner at making pastas- I tend to shy away, as somehow I mess up the recipe. However, this is absolutely delicious! I do prefer more sauce in my pasta- I used an almost full 12 ounce box of pasta shells, and felt like I needed a lot more sauce… So I made a second batch of sauce (easy enough) to drench my pasta in- it’s absolutely heavenly! I also added portobello mushrooms when sautéing the onions and garlic to add some of that “cream of mushroom” flavor.
Thank you for this! I will have to save this to make again!
I cook my veggies the same way when cooking pasta. It makes it so easy! Loving how many veggies you packed into this pasta.
So creamy and delish!
What a fun way to enjoy pasta…I love the fresh asparagus.
The ultimate spring dinner!
I’m loving the new line of Barilla pasta, and totally loving this dish! The asparagus & peas are enough to thrill me, but a lightened up, creamy sauce? Score!
My husband goes crazy for Alfredo sauce, so he would adore this!