Creamy Vegan Lemon Asparagus Pasta

Creamy Vegan Lemon Asparagus Pasta

Why I chose this recipe: First off because it’s vegan (my husband will be SO thrilled _insert sarcasm_) and secondly because of this statement, “This pasta is simple, requiring just 9 ingredients and 30 minutes!” Me gusta! Done.

Please read the full story behind WHY I have decided to share recipes :HERE:

Ingredients:

1 bunch asparagus trimmed and washed
Himalayan salt and black pepper
2 lemons
Avocado Oil
3-4 large cloves garlic, minced
10 ounces (~5 cups) GF rotelle quinoa pasta
2.5 cups organic original almond milk
3-4 Tbsp coconut flour
1-2 Tbsp nutritional yeast (for cheesy flavor if desired)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees (in my case our Green Mountain Pellet Grill). Add asparagus to a baking sheet/tin foil and toss with 1/2 Tbsp avocado oil and a pinch of each salt and pepper. Top with several thin slices of lemon and bake for 20-25 minutes. Once finished cooking, remove from oven (or grill) and roughly chop into thirds.
In the meantime, bring a pot of water to a boil and salt generously.
While the water’s heating, bring a large skillet to medium heat. Once hot, add 3 Tbsp avocado oil and garlic. Whisk and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes or until garlic is just starting to brown.
Add 3 Tbsp coconut flour and whisk. Cook for 30 seconds, then whisk in almond milk 1/2 cup at a time. Add a healthy pinch salt and pepper and whisk. Slightly lower heat and continue cooking to thicken, stirring occasionally. (Since I used coconut flour instead of regular flour I had to add an additional 2 Tbsp for desired thickness)
Add pasta to boiling water and cook according to package instructions. Then drain and set aside.
Add nutritional yeast and another pinch of salt and pepper. If it looks runny, add another Tablespoon of flour. (I added an extra Tbsp of nutritional yeast) Taste and adjust seasonings as needed and continue cooking over medium to medium-low heat to thicken.
Once your sauce has reached desired thickness, add the juice of half a lemon and stir. (I forgot this step so I just squeezed fresh lemon on top of the plate once dished)
Add 3/4 of the chopped asparagus and the cooked pasta to the sauce and toss to coat.
Divide between 2-3 (or 1 for a hungry man) serving plates and top with remaining asparagus. Serve with a lemon wedge! Added shaved parmesan cheese and rotisserie chicken (for the husband). I ended up adding some chicken to mine as well for some extra protein today.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to a few days.

My thoughts: FREAKIN NOM!!! I love this recipe. The sauce is delicious with the almond milk, coconut flour and Bragg’s Nutritional Yeast. I typically don’t eat grains but I saved some of my yellows (carb portions from my meal plan) so that way I could try out the full dish tonight including the Ancient Harvest quinoa noodles. Easy and healthy! Would def make this again.

Husbands honest review: “Want my honest opinion?” he says with a serious pause. “Scared you, It’s good AND it was filling.” (he was very kind and appreciative of my efforts – wife win)