This amazing Vegan Lemon Pasta recipe is made with spaghetti, sautéed asparagus and spinach tossed in a rich and creamy lemon-infused cashew sauce. It’s a light, super healthy, and flavorful pasta dish that is 100% dairy-free and can be made gluten-free too! Plus you can customize it to use your fave garden-fresh veggies and toppings as you desire!
Making this delicious pasta dish is quite simple and straightforward! Start with the homemade cashew cream sauce, sauté the veggies, cook the pasta and toss them all together then garnish and serve! It’s the perfect go-to dinner recipe for those busy weeknights and lazy weekends!
Best Vegan Lemon Pasta with Asparagus and Spinach
Nothing beats flavorful yet nutritious food that can be whipped up using wholesome plant-based ingredients only! While traditional lemon pasta recipes call for heavy cream and parmesan cheese, I made mine with easy homemade cashew cream and vegan parmesan cheese for garnishing to achieve that perfectly rich, flavorful, and creamy pasta I like it best!
Adding both asparagus and spinach gives it a dual benefit of having not only a fresh-tasting but nutrient-packed meal in one! I also topped it with some fresh herbs and toasted pine nuts for more flavor and texture!
Creamy Cashew Lemon Pasta Sauce from Scratch
If you like luscious pasta sauces with citrusy and bright tones, then you will absolutely adore this one! It is similar to my vegan Alfredo Sauce recipe but I added more lemon juice and zest to brighten it up to match the springtime spirit! And while most vegan recipes are made with dairy-free milk and veggie broth only, I wanted to make my lemon spaghetti dish less watery, flavorful, and tastier so I used cashews in this recipe too!
How to make it Nut-free?
However, if you are not up to making the cashew cream yourself, you can sub it with store-bought soy, almond, oat cream or a combination of dairy-free milk and vegan. cream cheese. You can also opt for creamy full-fat coconut milk instead to get a similar rich result. If the sauce is too thin, you can thicken it with flour or cornstarch.
How to make the Best Vegan Lemon Pasta
As always, I recommend checking out the recipe video and this step-by-step instruction first. Then you’ll find the full recipe with exact measurements in the recipe card below!
Step 1: Making the Lemon Pasta Sauce
You can definitely make the creamy lemon sauce ahead of time, if you like. To make it, start by boiling the cashews for a few minutes, until softened. Then drain and rinse with fresh water. In the meantime, sauté the onions and garlic in a pan. Next, add the cashews to a blender along with the sautéed onions and garlic, nutritional yeast flakes, lemon juice, lemon zest, vegetable broth, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Blend until creamy and taste and adjust seasonings as needed or add more water to your desired consistency.
Step 2: Cook the Pasta and Veggies
For the best result, be sure to cook the pasta and veggies just before serving. In a pot of salted water, cook the spaghetti according to the package instructions. Meanwhile, sauté the asparagus in a pan until tender. Then add the spinach and season with salt and pepper to taste. In a separate small pan, toast the pine nuts for a minute, until slightly golden-brown.
Step 3: Serve your vegan Lemon pasta
Once your pasta is ‘al dente’, drain and put back into the pot or a large pan. Pour the cashew sauce over the spaghetti and toss to coat. If the sauce gets too thick, add a bit water or non-dairy milk, or if it is too thin, cook it longer. Serve your creamy lemon pasta with asparagus and spinach and garnish with vegan parmesan cheese, pine nuts, fresh herbs, and lemon slices on the side. Enjoy!
Customize your Vegan Lemon Pasta to your Liking!
Oh, the fun you can have with this amazingly versatile recipe! If you do not have spaghetti pasta on hand, you can use other kinds of pasta like farfalle, penne, rotini, fusilli fettuccine, linguine or homemade vegan pasta. If you’re a gluten-free eater, feel free to use your favorite gluten-free pasta. You can also use Brown Rice Pasta, Chickpea Pasta, Lentil Pasta, Quinoa Pasta or veggie noodles instead of the regular wheat pasta.
If you you’re not a fan of asparagus and spinach or don’t have it available you can also hand-pick any veggies and toppings that you want! Make your lemon spaghetti with broccoli florets, zucchini, garlic mushrooms, oven-roasted tomatoes among other things.
For fresh herbs, you can use basil, arugula, cress, or parsley. If you want to add some zing into it, you can also sprinkle some crushed chili peppers before serving.
Want more protein in your pasta dish? Add some crispy tofu or edamame beans! You can also head over my blog post about vegan meat alternatives for more plant-based ideas and inspiration.
What to serve it with?
Though I find this pasta to be highly satisfying on its own, I like to pair it with some slices of Artisan bread or Keto bread to wipe the heavenly sauce off my plate! You can also serve with a vegan salad or sandwiches or wraps for a more filling lunch or dinner meal.
Storing and Make-ahead
Refrigerate any leftovers you might have in a sealed container. It will keep delicious for up to three days. When ready to serve, reheat over medium heat, and stir in some water or non-dairy milk to loosen up the lemon pasta sauce.
You can make the pasta sauce ahead of time too. Make sure that it cools down completely, then place it in the fridge stored in an airtight container. Once you are ready to make the pasta, just reheat your lemon sauce before adding it to the cooked spaghetti and veggies.
This Vegan Lemon Pasta recipe is:
- 100% dairy-free
- Gluten-free possible
- Nut-free possible
- Highly customizable
- Creamy and flavorful
- Lemony and fresh
- Super healthy
- Simple to make
- Undeniably delicious!
More easy vegan pasta recipes to try
- Roasted Red Pepper Pasta Sauce
- Vegan Broccoli Mac and Cheese
- Cauliflower Alfredo Pasta
- Spinach and Mushroom Pasta
- Creamy Pumpkin Alfredo Pasta
- Sweet Potato Pasta Sauce
- Vegan Carbonara with Spaghetti
- Lentil Zucchini Lasagna
- Vegan Lentil Bolognese
- Tomato Cream Pasta alla Vodka
If you try this Vegan Creamy Lemon Pasta recipe, feel free to leave a comment and a star rating! And if you take a picture of your Pasta dish and share it on Instagram, please tag me @biancazapatka and use the hashtag #biancazapatka because I love seeing your remakes! Happy cooking! 🙂
Creamy Vegan Lemon Spaghetti
Author:Ingredients
Lemon Pasta Sauce
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 medium onions chopped
- 4-6 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 cup (150 g) cashews *see notes for substitutes
- 1 cup (240 ml) veggie broth or more to desired thickness
- 4 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes or vegan parmesan, optional for cheesy flavor
- juice of 1-2 lemons to taste
- 1 tsp lemon zest or more to taste
- salt and pepper to taste
Pasta & Veggies (or sub your favs*)
- 12.3 oz (350 g) spaghetti or other (gluten-free pasta)
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 bunch asparagus hard ends removed
- 3 cups (100 g) fresh spinach
To garnish
- vegan parmesan cheese
- toasted pine nuts
- fresh herbs e.g. basil or parley
Instructions
*Note: Check out the recipe video + step-by-step instructions in the blog post above!
Lemon Pasta Sauce (can be made ahead)
- Add the cashews to a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook them for 15 minutes, until softened. Then drain and rinse with fresh water.
- In the meantime, heat 1-2 tbsp of oil in a pan and sauté the onions for 2-3 minutes, until translucent. Then add the garlic and sauté for another minute, until fragrant.
- Add the cashews to a blender along with the sautéed onions and garlic, nutritional yeast flakes, lemon juice, lemon zest, vegetable broth, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed or add more water to desired consistency.
Pasta and Veggies (cook before serving)
- In a pot of salted water, cook the spaghetti according to the package instructions.
- While the pasta is cooking, heat 1-2 tbsp of oil in a pan. Add the asparagus and sauté for 4-5 minutes, or until tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the spinach, cover, and set aside until the spinach has wilted.
- In a separate small pan, toast the pine nuts for a minute, stirring often, until slightly golden-brown. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Serve
- Once your pasta is 'al dente', drain and put back into the pot or a large pan. Pour the cashew sauce over the spaghetti and toss to coat (if the sauce gets too thick, add a bit water or non-dairy milk, or if it is too thin, cook it longer).
- Serve your creamy lemon pasta with asparagus and spinach and garnish with vegan parmesan cheese, pine nuts, fresh⅔ herbs, and lemon slices on the side or whatever toppings you desire.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Instead of cashews, you could also use macadamia nuts or blanched almonds.
- To make this sauce nut-free, you can sub the homemade cashew cream (cashews + veggie broth) with 1 ⅔ cup of soy, almond, or oat cream or full-fat coconut milk + 2 tsp veggie broth powder. If it’s too thin, you can thicken it with flour or cornstarch. Also, a combination of dairy-free milk and vegan cream cheese is a great option to get a similar creamy consistency.
- Instead of asparagus, you can sub other vegetables, such as broccoli florets, zucchini, mushrooms, oven-roasted tomatoes, or whatever you like.
- Reheat leftovers in a saucepan over medium. Stir in some water or non-dairy milk to loosen up the sauce as needed.
- Please read my blog post for more suggestions, helpful tips, and step-by-step photos!
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A new favourite. So easy and yummy. I’ve made it twice this week already !
I’m happy to hear that you enjoy this pasta dish! Thanks for your feedback. <3