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Creamy Lemon Ziti with Roasted Asparagus

By: Jenn Sebestyen / Published: / Last Updated:

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Creamy Lemon Pasta – A delicious pasta dish with a garlicky lemon dairy free white bean sauce served alongside roasted asparagus. It comes together easily – perfect for a weeknight dinner. 

Overhead view of a plate of creamy lemon pasta with a side of roasted asparagus topped with a lemon wedge.

One of my favorite springtime veggies is asparagus. I could eat the whole bunch myself! I’m an oddball who actually likes the stalks better than the soft tops. It works out pretty well for me considering my son will only eat the tops! Although I could make an entire meal out of Roasted Asparagus alone, I think my family appreciates that I paired it with this Creamy Lemon Pasta.

Plate of creamy lemon pasta with roasted asparagus topped with lemon zest and fresh parsley.

White Bean Sauce

This velvety sauce is thick and creamy and full of lemon and garlic flavors. It’s also soy free, nut free, and can be made oil-free if you wish. It only takes 7 ingredients, all of which you likely already have in your pantry/fridge, and less than 10 minutes to make.

White beans are high in protein, fiber, potassium, folate, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, calcium and iron. Cannellini beans, in particular, get super creamy when blended.

Creamy dairy free white bean sauce over ziti pasta.

Healthy Asparagus

Asparagus is incredibly high in Vitamin K and folate. It also boasts B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin A, potassium, zinc, iron, protein, and calcium, among others. So, basically, you want to eat up because this Lemon Pasta with Asparagus is one healthy dish!

Roasted asparagus topped with a lemon wedge.

A Family Favorite

All 3 kids devoured this dinner, but I think my hubby liked it the most! We didn’t have much leftover, but what we did have didn’t last long!

Plate of creamy lemon pasta topped with chopped fresh parsley.

Asparagus and lemon are a match made in heaven, so this dish is pretty much perfection! 🙂 Try it for yourself and leave a comment below letting me know what you think.

Close up of creamy lemon sauce over ziti pasta.

Creamy Lemon Pasta w/ Roasted Asparagus

I hope you love this Creamy Lemon Pasta as much as we do. If you try it, please come back and leave me a comment below with your feedback. You can also find me on social media. Be sure to tag @veggie_inspired and #veggieinspired so I’m sure to see it. Enjoy!

4 from 1 vote
Plate of creamy lemon pasta topped with chopped fresh parsley.
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Creamy Lemon Pasta with Roasted Asparagus
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
12 mins
Total Time
22 mins
 

A delicious pasta dish with a garlicky lemon white bean sauce served alongside roasted asparagus. It comes together easily - perfect for a weeknight dinner. Dairy free and vegan!

Course: Entree, Pasta
Cuisine: dairy free, egg free, gluten free, nut free, soy free, vegan
Servings: 6
Calories: 350 kcal
Author: Jenn Sebestyen
Ingredients
For the Asparagus:
  • 1 bunch fresh asparagus
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • salt/pepper (to taste)
For the Pasta:
  • 1 lb ziti (or pasta of choice) (use gluten free noodles if desired)
  • 2 tsp olive oil (or 1 tbsp vegetable broth)
  • 1/4 of a white onion (diced)
  • 3 garlic cloves (minced)
  • 15 oz canned cannellini beans (rinsed and drained) (or 1 1/5 cups cooked dry beans)
  • 1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable broth (plus extra to thin, if needed)
  • juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
  • fresh parsley (to garnish)
  • zest of 1 lemon (to garnish)
Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.
  2. Trim off the woody bottoms of the asparagus. Toss the asparagus with oil, salt and pepper.
  3. Roast for 10-12 minutes until tender and starting to brown.
  4. Meanwhile, cook the ziti according to package directions
  5. While the ziti is cooking and the asparagus is roasting, make the sauce.

  6. In a small skillet over medium-high heat, sauté the diced onion and minced garlic in 2 tsp of olive oil until softened, about 4-5 minutes.

  7. Combine the beans, onion/garlic mixture, vegetable broth, lemon juice, and salt in a high speed blender and purée until smooth. Add a little more broth (or some of the pasta water) to thin if needed.

  8. To serve, combine the ziti and sauce and serve the asparagus either on the side or mixed in with the noodles.

  9. Garnish with extra lemon zest and parsley.

Recipe Notes

If the sauce is a little too thick, you can use extra vegetable broth or a little of the pasta water to thin it out.

 

Nutrition Facts
Creamy Lemon Pasta with Roasted Asparagus
Amount Per Serving
Calories 350 Calories from Fat 36
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 4g 6%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 2g
Sodium 174mg 7%
Potassium 298mg 9%
Total Carbohydrates 60g 20%
Dietary Fiber 7g 28%
Sugars 2g
Protein 13g 26%
Vitamin A 8%
Vitamin C 10%
Calcium 5%
Iron 25%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

*Recipe and content updated April 2018. Original posted April 2015.


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Comments

  1. Patty says

    06/17/2019 at 7:35 pm

    This was really really good! I try to follow recipes without altering the first time (other than always using much more garlic LOL), but we were almost out of garlic so I made the sauce exactly as written. I was afraid it would be a little bland for our taste, but it absolutely wasn’t. It’s not often I find a recipe I’m not thinking of tweaks for when we eat it the first time! We’ll be adding this to our regular rotation for sure!

    Second time I made it, I had some mushrooms and a leek to use up so sautéed them and put them on top with the asparagus. I’ve never used cannellini beans before and can see a lot of versatility with this sauce!

    Reply

    • Jenn Sebestyen says

      06/17/2019 at 9:49 pm

      I’m so happy you love it, Patty! Mushrooms would be an amazing addition…I’ll have to try that next time, too! Definitely a versatile sauce. Thank you so much for your lovely comment!

      Reply

  2. Eliza says

    09/25/2018 at 4:15 am

    Made this yesterday for my Son and Wife they both thought I went to some cooking course, I’m quite impressed with the taste and result! Hahaha. Thanks for sharing such wonderful recipe!

    Reply

  3. Jenna-lea Kelland says

    07/13/2018 at 12:26 pm

    This was yum! We had it for dinner tonight and it was great. I’ve just recently gone dairy free so it was nice to have a creamy pasta-my favorite. I couldn’t find fresh asparagus so I fried zucchini on a griddle pan. My fussy 3 year old even ate it, and I never successfully get beans into him but he was oblivious. 😉 I just struggled to get my sauce as smooth as in your photos, but it still tasted good. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply

    • Jenn S. says

      07/13/2018 at 2:50 pm

      I’m so glad you and your family loved it, Jenna-lea! What kind of blender do you have? That could make the difference between a somewhat smooth sauce and a silky smooth sauce. If you don’t have a high-speed blender, add a bit more liquid and blend longer. That should do it!

      Reply

  5. Judy Stone says

    04/13/2018 at 7:03 pm

    Yum! Friday night dinner after the gym–this is fabulous. And since I just worked out I don’t mind a bit having a second serving! Thanks Jenn!

    Reply

  11. Elle klein says

    09/08/2017 at 7:01 pm

    It was pretty good! But I think the said would’ve gone better on cold pasta as it seized up a bit when it got hot. Will try that next time!

    Reply

  13. Sarah says

    05/10/2016 at 10:48 am

    I thought this dish turned out pretty good! I really liked the flavour of the sauce but found mine did turn out a bit more thick than I’d prefer so I just added a bit more soy milk to thin it out. I think I even preferred it as leftovers the next day. I ended up cutting up the asparagus and fried up some “chicken” strips and added it to the dish and it really hit the spot. Thanks!

    Reply

    • Jenn S. says

      05/10/2016 at 12:12 pm

      Hi, Sarah! Thank you so much for your comment. I’m glad to hear you liked it. Have a great week!

      Reply

    • Jenn S. says

      05/09/2016 at 11:28 am

      Hi, Tam. That would probably work. I haven’t tried it and full fat coconut milk might change the flavor just a bit…Lite coconut milk is usually less flavorful. If you try it, let me know how it turns out!

      Reply

    • Jenn S. says

      01/07/2016 at 6:31 pm

      Yay!! I’m so glad you liked it, Kelly!! Thank you so much for your comment! Enjoy your evening!

      Reply

  16. Lynn says

    04/30/2015 at 9:56 pm

    I made your creamy lemon ziti with roasted asparagus for dinner tonight and it was delicious. Plus, it icomes together so quickly, so it’s perfect for a quick, healthy, satisfying week night dinner. Will definitely make it again!

    Reply

    • Jenn S. says

      04/30/2015 at 10:16 pm

      I’m so glad you liked it! It really doesn’t take any longer than boiling the noodles. Perfect for a weeknight and so kid friendly too!

      Reply

    • Jenn S. says

      04/21/2015 at 8:43 am

      Asparagus and lemon were pretty much made to go together, right? 🙂 And I like the bright lemon flavor to cut the heaviness of the sauce. It’s so good!

      Reply

  20. Lynn Thurman says

    04/20/2015 at 8:31 pm

    This looks so good and easy. Great for a quick weekday dinner. Will definitely try it.

    Reply

    • Jenn S. says

      04/20/2015 at 9:01 pm

      Thanks! Let me know if you do try it and how you like it! You could even add a balsamic drizzle just before serving for Dad!

      Reply

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My name is Jenn. This is my blog where I share delicious plant based recipes for the whole family. I love to cook; I can read cookbooks like novels; and I enjoy experimenting in the kitchen by making standard American favorites healthier.

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