Spring vegetable pasta is the perfect light and tasty dinner to enjoy in the warmer weather! Asparagus, zucchini, and a fresh citrus sauce make this a delicious meal that’s gluten free and vegan, too.
Don’t you love a quick and easy pasta dinner?
Whether it’s a creamy pasta with spinach, or noodles with a spicy tomato sauce, or this spring veggie recipe, pasta is a great dinner option when you’re in a hurry.
Tender noodles, fresh asparagus and squash, and a vibrant lemony sauce come together to make this pasta stand out! This isn’t a boring vegan pasta – this is a dish you’ll want to make again.
Sometimes it can be hard to find good asparagus, depending on the time of year. The great thing about this simple recipe is that it can be modified according to your tastes or according to what you have on hand.
Feel free to use the pasta shape and the variety of vegetables that you have available. Instead of asparagus, you could use green beans or snap peas if you like.
Lemon Sauce
This sauce is quite lemony (we love lemon over here!), so if you aren’t a huge lemon fan, you may want to cut back on the lemon a little bit. When you’re ready to assemble the pasta, you can start out by adding about ⅔ of the sauce to the bowl. Taste it and see what you think – usually that’s where I start, and I just have the rest of the dressing on the table so that people can add it to their serving if desired.
I just love the fresh, bright taste of this sauce – it really says springtime!
Variations
Try adding some different vegetables to this pasta dish. You could add:
- broccoli
- shallots
- red peppers
- green beans
Gluten Free Pasta
If you have multiple allergens that you need to avoid, you’ll want to find a pasta that’s made in a facility that is allergen free or has good allergen procedures. Some brands to look into are Jovial, Ancient Harvest, or Cybele’s. Please call the company to make sure that any of these brands are suitable for your specific needs.
Substitutions
If you aren’t gluten free, use any pasta that you like! This dish should be good with any number of types or shapes of pasta.
If you don’t have pasta on hand, you could also make this with quinoa.
More Lemon Recipes:
- Lemon pasta with chicken and peas
- Roasted green beans with lemon sauce
- Lemon dill zucchini noodles
- Vegan lemon cupcakes with berry frosting
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.
Recipe
Spring Vegetable Pasta with Lemon Sauce.
Your family will love this easy and flavorful pasta with fresh vegetables and a vibrant lemon garlic sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup red onion sliced
- 1 zucchini sliced
- 1 yellow squash sliced
- 1 bunch asparagus chopped, with ends discarded*
- ⅔ cup frozen corn
- 6 ounces gluten free farfalle or another pasta shape
For the sauce:
Instructions
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Cook the pasta according to package directions. While the pasta cooks, make the sauce and cook the veggies.
Prepare the sauce:
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Put the lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, sea salt, and pepper in a jar with a lid. Shake well. Set aside.
Cook the vegetables:
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Place the olive oil and red onion in a large skillet. Cook until the onion is soft, about 5-7 minutes. Add the yellow squash and corn and cook for 5 minutes.
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Add the zucchini and asparagus and cook until they are tender but still bright green. Remove from heat.
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Once the pasta is done, drain and put in a large bowl. Add the vegetables. Shake the sauce again and drizzle it over the pasta and veggies. Toss to coat. Taste and add more lemon, salt, or pepper as desired. Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
Store leftovers in the refrigerator. The pasta will absorb some of the sauce and flavor, so you may have to add more lemon or other seasonings the next day.
Leftovers should stay fresh for about 2-3 days.
This post was originally published in April 2015. It has been updated.
Darryl
I make this all the time and love it
Jessica Levinson (@jlevinsonrd)
I’m totally with you on loving the spring weather and produce! This is such a pretty pasta dish. Looks lovely!
Kelly
Thank you, Jessica!
olivia - Primavera Kitchen
This looks so easy and quick to make, but very flavourful!!
Kelly
Thanks, Olivia!
Sarah @Whole and Heavenly Oven
Yay for spring weather and asparagus season!! This pasta looks so fresh and healthy, Kelly! My kinda dinner right here. :)
Kelly
Thank you, Sarah!
The Healthy Apple
This looks AMAZING! So light and spring-y. Thanks for posting!
Kelly
Thank you!
Julia
I’m on board with some lighter meals for spring, and I say bring on the asparagus! Love that uuuber lemony sauce and how vegetable-packed this meal is!
Medha @ Whisk & Shout
This looks amazing! Lovely photos and the simplicity really allows the vegetables to be showcased :)
Natalie @ Tastes Lovely
I’ve been all about asparagus too lately! My favorite spring vegetable. This bowl of pasta is so pretty!
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice
What a gorgeous dish, Kelly! I love the fresh veggies and pops of color in here!
Kristine's Kitchen
This is a gorgeous pasta dish! I’ve been loving asparagus lately, too, and it’s so good paired with lemon!