• recipes
    • small plates
    • large plates
    • sweets
    • baking
    • salads and soups
    • breakfasts
    • pantry staples
    • drinks
  • about
  • contact
Lazy Cat Kitchen

A food blog with plant-based recipes from all over the world

Asparagus and zucchini pasta

June 12, 2019 by Ania - 8

comfort food, easy, Italian

asparagus zucchini pasta bowl

The past few days we’ve been hosting my parents. It was great to catch up with them both, even if the weather was the worst we have seen in a while. It was almost raining non-stop ever since they arrived on Friday. As a result we spent a lot of our time at home, huddled by the kitchen table with Tina sleeping in her new favourite basket that my mom brought for her. It was really nice as we all got on really well, which is not always the case πŸ˜‰ .

Dad has been super helpful with the roof issue we are having. He told us how we can mitigate our roof’s structural issues fairly simply and cheaply. He drew us plenty of helpful drawings, went to a home depot with me and helped me bring 3 meter long planks of wood into the house and then, because it was raining (and he was a bit bored), even installed the first of the three rafter ties (which are meant to stop the roof from sagging and spreading) with me so that I know how to proceed with the remaining two. It’s been so good to get his advice. He saved us lots of money and stress, plus empowered us to extend the remit of what we consider as possible DIY jobs.

I was a little bit worried about the food situation but I should not have been. They both loved my vegan moussaka and mushroom pasta that I ended up making more than once. Dad sneaked out for some fish and chips once but other than that they ate vegan almost all week and were really happy to too. I even baked them some muffins for the road as I needed to practise the recipe for the blog and they were very happy to be my test subjects. Luckily, the muffins came out really well (which isn’t always the case…). I was chuffed. I will be posting them on here as soon as my bananas ripen enough before Duncan gets to them… πŸ˜› .

The biggest surprise of my parents’ visit is how much my dad loved Tina. I didn’t think he was into cats at all, but I was wrong and the feeling was mutual. It’s nice especially that we have no kids, I keep on joking to my parents that Tina is their granddaughter πŸ˜‰ and to be fair to them, they roll with it. It was a relief as Tina isn’t always that chilled about us having guests. There were certainly some visitors in the past that made her feel stressed and it’s always a bit stressful to us when she is upset.

My parents left this morning so it’s back to reality for me. I’ve just shot this recipe for you. For a good while the sky was so dark that I was getting ready to take the artificial light out of the box. Luckily, I managed somehow. This pasta is a spring-inspired riff on my mushroom pasta that everyone loves. These days, I make this spring version instead, as asparagus is in season and mint is taking over my garden. It’s quick and easy to make, fresh and delicious. It makes a perfect midweek meal too! Enjoy x

PS: If you do make my asparagus and zucchini pasta, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram (#lazycatkitchen). I love seeing your take on my recipes.

asparagus zucchini pasta ingredients

asparagus zucchini pasta zucchini

asparagus zucchini pasta pan

5.00 from 3 votes
Print
  • serves: 2
  • prep: 15 min
  • cooking: 15 min

Ingredients

  • 200 g / 7 oz green asparagus spears
  • 200 g / 7 oz courgette / zucchini
  • 45 ml / 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 200 g / 7 oz spaghetti (GF if needed)
  • 1-2 garlic cloves, diced finely
  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • juice of Β½ lemon
  • salt and black pepper, to taste
  • a good pinch of chilli flakes (I used fine Korean chilli flakes)
  • 2 tbsp toasted pine nuts, to garnish
  • fresh chopped mint, to garnish (optional)

Method

  1. Snap off the woody ends of the asparagus with your fingers and discard.
  2. Cut the courgette / zucchini in half lengthwise and slice into thin slices with a knife.
  3. Heat up a griddle pan, once hot brush it with a little olive oil and throw asparagus onto the hot pan so that the spears are perpendicular to the pan’s griddle lines. Allow them to char for a few minutes undisturbed then roll them onto the other side with a wooden spoon. Char them on all sides until the spears are no longer raw but still retain a bit of crunch (about 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of your spears and the level of heat). Season with salt and pepper and take of the pan. Cut them into bite-size pieces and set aside.
  4. Return the pan to the heat, brush it with some more olive oil and once hot, throw zucchini slices onto it. Again, allow them to char for a few seconds before giving them a good stir. Continue in this manner until all of the slices are cooked, some will be charred more than others. Season and set aside.
  5. Cook the pasta just short of al dente (the pasta I used takes 10 min to cool al dente, I cooked it for 8Β½ min) following the instructions on the packet, saving 60 ml / ΒΌ cup of cooking water just before you drain your pasta.
  6. When pasta is about to be ready, heat up a heavy bottom frying pan on low heat. Once hot, add in 2 tbsp of olive oil and finely diced garlic.
  7. Gently cook the garlic for about 2 minutes, stirring the whole time. Do not allow it to brown as it will make your pasta taste bitter. If the garlic is sizzling too aggressively, turn the heat off (or take the pan off the heat if not using gas) and allow it to cook in the residual heat.
  8. Add a splash (start off with 2 tbsp, add more if needed) of pasta cooking water, nutritional yeast and stir them together well so that the oil emulsifies. Cook on low heat for another minute or so.
  9. Toss the drained pasta well in the garlicky oil. Drizzle with lemon juice, season with salt and black pepper and a sprinkle of fine chilli flakes (if using).
  10. Stir in asparagus and zucchini pieces to heat them both up again.
  11. Divide between two plates, sprinkle with toasted pine nuts and fresh mint.

Notes

If you want more info on some of the ingredients that we use in our recipes, check out our glossary.
SHARE
taralli
Previous:
Taralli
Next post:
Vegan peanut butter cookie sandwich
peanut butter sandwich cookies bowl

get a sweet e-book

on joining our mailing list

I’d like to receive new recipe emails and a link to your free e-book.
(By submitting this form you agree to our privacy policy.)
This recipe has been written by Ania. She is the cook, stylist and photographer behind Lazy Cat Kitchen. You can read about her journey into food blogging here. You can also check her out on Pinterest and Instagram.

You may also like

vegan mushroom risotto close

Vegan mushroom risotto

vegan minestrone

Vegan minestrone soup

plant bolognese two bowls

Plant bolognese sauce

miso corn pasta pan

Miso and corn pasta

    Comments

    Leave a comment

  1. Irma says

    June 13, 2019 at 3:13 am

    What couldn’t one love about this dish!
    Simple, easy to make, suuuuper easy on the eyes, fresh, de-li-cious!!!
    I had just finished washing my asparagus to roast it. Also had a bunch of zucchini. Just randomly came across this and no second thoughts!
    After I cooked the zucchini, it was so good, I ate half while cooking the asparagus. So I had to cook more. Lol. It wasn’t problem because it’s sooo simple.
    13/10 would make again. Thank you!!!

    Reply
    • Ania says

      June 13, 2019 at 1:58 pm

      Aw, thanks so much for your kind words, Irma! You made my day! x Ania

      Reply
  2. Darina says

    June 17, 2019 at 1:22 pm

    What a great dinner! Quick, easy and incredibly delicious!

    Reply
    • Ania says

      June 17, 2019 at 4:31 pm

      Thanks, Darina! I’m so pleased to hear that. x Ania

      Reply
  3. Charlene says

    June 18, 2019 at 2:00 pm

    Such a simple recipe that tasted so good! I felt very impressed with myself hahaha :). Thanks!

    Reply
    • Ania says

      June 18, 2019 at 4:02 pm

      Hahaha, glad to hear, Charlene! Thanks for stopping by! x Ania

      Reply
  4. Maari says

    June 27, 2019 at 6:19 am

    I made this tonight for dinner. It was very delicious, will definitely make it again. I added corn which was tasty. My 5 year old ate two plates which is always nice.

    Reply
    • Ania says

      June 28, 2019 at 3:03 pm

      That’s lovely to hear, Maari! Thank you for your lovely feedback! Ania

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Fields marked as * are mandatory
This form collects your name and email so that we can correspond with you and display your name and the content of your comment. Check out our privacy policy for more information.

I consent to having Lazy Cat Kitchen collect my name and email

Ania Marcinowska
Hi, I'm Ania. I love good food but I love animals more! Adopting a plant-based diet has been the best decision I've made and that's how this blog was born. It's a space where I want to show you that creating delicious plant-based food isn't actually hard at all.
read more

Follow us on Insta

  • Have you rolled up your sleeves for Xmas yet? I have, but that sort of comes with the territory...first up is a super simple yet deliciously xmassy #recipe for soft #vegangingerbread cookies (link in my bio πŸ‘ˆ) They are fun to make and decorate (although I'm not going to win any awards in that department 😜), they can also be made both #refinedsugarfree and #glutenfree if needed. #veganxmas #veganchristmas #vegancookies #weekendtreat #letsbakevegan #letsbake #egglessbaking #vegandesserts #xmascookies #crueltyfree #glutenfreevegan #veganfood #veganfoodlover #feedfeed @thefeedfeed.vegan
  • Hope your day is good, guys? I'm photographing one of these dishes that tastes great, but is not a looker and losing my temper and my mind...πŸ™„πŸ€― meanwhile here is a throwback to an old recipe of mine, but perfect for this time of the year β˜” #veganbourguignon with #celeriacmash - #recipe link in my bio πŸ‘ˆ #veganfood #vegancomfortfood #whatveganseat #eatrealfood #letseatvegan #dinnerinspo #dinnertime #feedfeed @thefeedfeed.vegan #winterfood #winter #comfortfood #eatwellbewell #eatmoregreens #eatplants #plantbased #plantbasedmeals
  • When you book your favourite restaurant to celebrate your 10 year anniversary πŸ‘©β€β€οΈβ€πŸ‘¨ a month after the actual date cos life got in the way, get there against all odds to find that all the car parks in the entire of #Bath (thanks Xmas market!!) are full and end up eating nut bars and bananas in a supermarket's car park for lunch instead...yup, that's how romantic it's been today!! On the blog, a #recipe (link in my bio) for lunch I wish we have had. Enjoy 😘 #veganrisotto #mushroom #mushroomrisotto #whatveganseat #veganfood #vegan #veganrecipes #letscookvegan #veganfoodspace #veganfoodlover #feedfeed @thefeedfeed.vegan #kitchn #dinnerinspo #dinnertime #glutenfreevegan #glutenfree #vegancomfortfood #plantbased #dairyfree
  • If you are not cooking for a crowd or have 'annoying #vegans ' (this is what we are when we are not around, we know...😜) coming round for dinner and need to put something together that does not take a day to prepare, these cute individual #pithiviers might do the job (#recipe link in my bio πŸ‘ˆ), not too complicated and they go well nicely with cranberry sauce. Enjoy 😘 #whatveganseat #thanksgiving #veganthanksgivingdinner #veganthanksgiving #veganfood #vegan #loveanimalsdonteatthem #veganfoodlover #vegansofig #feedfeed @thefeedfeed.vegan #veganfoodshare #vegandinner #vegandinnerideas #festiveseason
  • Okay so if you are after something that's easy to make yet feeds a crowd πŸ‘¨β€πŸ‘©β€πŸ‘¦πŸ‘©β€πŸ‘©β€πŸ‘§πŸ‘¨β€πŸ‘§πŸ‘¨β€πŸ‘¨β€πŸ‘§ I might have just the thing for you - #veganpotatogratin that's fragrant with rosemary and thyme, creamy with crispy top - heaven on a plate πŸ‘ŒπŸ€€ #recipe link in my bio πŸ‘ˆ #vegancomfortfood #whatfatveganseat #vegandinner #veganthanksgivingdinner #veganthanksgiving #veganfood #veganfoodlover #feedfeed @thefeedfeed.vegan #veganfortheanimals #veganblog #veganfoodblogger #veganside #vegansides #glutenfreevegan #glutenfree #dinnerinspo #dairyfree #plantbased #plantbasedmeals #potatoes #potatolove #carbs
  • If you're not a pumpkin pie fan, how about breaking the rules and making this creamy #vegan #peanutbuttermousse with a layer of decadent ganache on top? It's easy, the link to the recipe including a how-to #recipevideo is in my bio πŸ‘ˆ Enjoy 😘 #veganthanksgivingdinner #veganthanksgiving #letseatvegan #letscookvegan #vegandesserts #veganfoodlover #aquafaba #whatveganseat #veganfood #veganfoodblogger #veganrecipes #feedfeed @thefeedfeed.vegan #eggless #loveanimalsdonteatthem #plantbased #vegansofig
  • For all you #vegan #pumpkinpie fans out there, I didn't want you to miss out on this #Thanksgiving staple so I tinkered a little and I have a cracking NEW RECIPE (link in bio πŸ‘ˆ) for it, just in time....phew πŸ˜…. It's not difficult to make at all, the filling comes together in seconds and it's silky smooth, rich, custardy and fragrant with pumpkin pie spices, we love it πŸ€€πŸ‘Œ#veganpumpkinpie #veganthanksgiving #veganthanksgivingdinner #veganfood #feedfeed @thefeedfeed.vegan #whatveganseat #letsbakevegan #egglessbaking #veganbaking #letseatvegan #plantbased #veganfoodlover #veganrecipes #veganfoodporn #glutenfree #glutenfreevegan #bestofvegan #letsbakevegan #veganpie
  • I've been teasing you with #thanksgiving recipes all week, but this is the main dish that should grace your #veganthanksgiving table - #veganwellington with deliciously rich gravy. Duncan and I have made a #recipevideo (link to written recipe in my bioπŸ‘ˆ) to show you how to put it together. It always gets lots of compliments, it's full of flavour, contrasting textures and can be made #glutenfree too. Enjoy!! 😘 #beetwellington #veganlife #veganfoodlover #vegans #veganshare #vegandinner #bestofvegan #plantbased #beetroot #veganroast #veganfortheanimals #veganforlife #veganfood #vegan #veganrecipes #foodvideo #veganfoodporn
  • Have you worked out your #veganthanksgiving menu yet? If you still have room for some inspiration, may I humbly suggest this cracking way to make #brusselsprouts truly shine? These miso roasted sprouts with jammy #cranberries and pecans are one of my favorite #festive sides...πŸ€€πŸ‘Œ #recipe link in bio 😘 #thanksgivingsides #thanksgiving #whatveganseat #plantbaseddiet #plantbased #feedfeed @thefeedfeed.vegan #eatmoreplants #eatyourveggies #eatrealfood #crueltyfreefood #crueltyfree #loveanimalsdonteatthem #veganfood #veganfoodlover #vegansofinstagram #vegansofinsta
  • If you are looking for a #vegandessert for #thanksgiving, look no further!! Here is one of my personal favourites, #veganpecanpie (link in my bio πŸ‘ˆ). It's nutty, caramely, moreish, an absolute knock-out!! It's #refinedsugarfree and can be made #glutenfree too if you need it to be 😘 #letseatvegan #letsbake #lovebaking #pecanpie #feedfeed @thefeedfeed.vegan #whatfatveganseat #glutenfreevegan #vegandesserts #veganfood #veganfoodshare #veganbaking #veganbaker #veganthanksgivingdinner #vegantreat #veganthanksgiving #bestofvegan
  • This beautiful #veganside of #roastedsweetpotatoes with #misodressing really would appreciate an invite to your #veganthanksgiving table 😜 Super easy to make, a guaranteed crowd pleaser and naturally #glutenfree too!! #Recipe link in my bio πŸ‘ˆ, as always 😘 #glutenfreevegan #whatveganseat #eatrealfood #carbsarelife #carbs #feedfeed @thefeedfeed.vegan #veganthanksgivingdinner #eatyourveggies #eatplants #loveanimalsdonteatthem #thanksgivingsides #letseathealthy #healthyfood #letseatvegan #thrivemags
  • Happy Monday guys!! As many of you are probably already thinking about the upcoming #thanksgiving , I am here to help you tackle #veganthanksgiving menu cos no one likes being left out, right? I hope you'll include these easy to make #hasselbackpotatoes potatoes with garlic and herbs and I hope that you'll spared the sight of the poor dead turkey πŸ¦ƒπŸ˜­ (that's the hardest bit, isn't it?) #recipe link in my bio πŸ‘ˆ #veganthanksgivingdinner #whatveganseat #loveanimalsdonteatthem #veganfood #veganfoodlovers #veganfoodshare #veganfoodspace #lovecarbs #carbsarelife #potatolove #potatoes #vegansofig #vegansides #feedfeed @thefeedfeed.vegan #thrivemags

Follow on Instagram

Like us on Facebook

Lazy Cat Kitchen
Lazy Cat Kitchen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.ca.

Follow Us On Pinterest

Copyright © 2018 · Privacy Policy · Theme by Lazy Cat Themes · Logo by Sarah from The Small Object