Creamy asparagus pasta is a quick and easy one pan side dish for your next weeknight meal. Bow tie pasta is tossed with lightly steamed asparagus in a creamy, from-scratch parmesan sauce.
Recipe summary
Flavor: Mild, savory, garlicky, cheesy.
Made from scratch. The cream sauce is made with simple ingredients like heavy cream, parmesan cheese, broth, and butter.
One pan. The entire dish comes together in a single sauté pan on the stovetop.
Great for: A light lunch or side dish for your favorite main course.
Serve with: Juicy Oven Roasted Chicken Breasts or Garlic Butter Shrimp
Similar to: Creamy Pasta Primavera and Spaghetti with Creamy Zucchini Sauce
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Ingredients and substitutions
- Vegetable broth - Can be substituted with chicken broth or beef broth. I do not recommend using a low sodium broth, since much of the flavor in this dish comes from the broth. If using a low sodium broth, I recommend adding extra herbs or salt to make up for the lost flavor.
- Asparagus - Can be substituted with other quick cooking vegetables like frozen/canned peas or corn, or fresh green beans. Heartier veggies like broccoli need more cooking time to cook through, so they should be added a little earlier in the cooking process.
- Butter - Can be substituted with olive oil if desired.
- Bow tie pasta - Can be substituted with any medium sized dried pasta you have on hand, like penne or macaroni.
- Garlic and onion - Add savory flavor to the dish. I don't recommend omitting either for best results.
- Seasoning - Red pepper flakes and pepper add a kick of heat and depth of flavor to the dish. If using a low sodium broth, you may also want to add salt to taste. I've omitted the salt in this recipe due to the use of broth as well as parmesan cheese, which adds a salty flavor.
- Heavy cream - Creates a thick, creamy sauce. Heavy cream can be substituted with half & half, but sauce will be on the thin side. I do not recommend using milk because sauce will turn out very thin.
- Parmesan cheese - Adds salty flavor and creaminess to the dish. I highly recommend shredding cheese fresh from a block instead of using pre-shredded store bought cheeses. Pre-shredded cheeses are often coated in anti-clumping powders that get grainy when melted.
How to make asparagus pasta
- Melt butter in a sauté pan and cook onion and garlic.
- Add pasta, broth, and seasoning to the pan. Bring to a simmer, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook pasta to al dente minus 4 minutes.
- At the 4 minute mark, add asparagus to the pan and return lid. Cook for the remaining 4 minutes.
- Add heavy cream and parmesan to the pan, stirring to incorporate. Allow to set 5 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken as it stands.
Tips and tricks
Pasta cooking time - The cooking time listed in this recipe depends on the size, shape, and brand of pasta you're using. Consult your pasta package's cooking times and adjust the recipe as needed to cook your pasta properly to al dente.
Accurately measure your pasta and broth - Since the entire meal is cooked in a single pan, it's extremely important to measure your pasta and liquids exactly. Too much pasta can cause the dish to turn out dry, and too much liquid can cause the dish to turn out runny.
Sauce looking runny? - After your pasta has finished cooking, your sauce may still look a bit thin. Allow the pan to rest for 5 minutes before serving. The pasta will continue to soak up moisture in the pan, steam will continue releasing from the dish, and the sauce will thicken over time.
Pan looking dry? - Turn the heat down slightly and add a splash of water. If everything is measured properly, your pan shouldn't be looking dry. This is usually a sign that the heat is too high or the lid has been removed too often, which releases steam.
Storage
Leftovers will keep for 3-4 days in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator. You may want to add a splash of cream while reheating if your pasta looks dry.
Frequently asked questions
Any medium sized pasta shapes work well in this recipe. Penne, shells, or cavatappi are great choices. Keep in mind that your cooking time may change slightly when using different pasta shapes. No matter the shape, cook your pasta until it reaches al dente.
Cooked and shredded rotisserie chicken, garlic butter shrimp, or even a can of tuna or chicken work well in this recipe.
Yes, bell pepper can be sauteed along with the onion. A handful of spinach can be added during the last step and will wilt while resting for 5 minutes. A cup of frozen peas, carrots, or mixed veggies can be added along with the asparagus.
It sounds like maybe too much broth or too little pasta was added to the skillet. Since we're cooking everything in a single pan, these two ingredients must be measured exactly. If your sauce looks very thin after cooking, continue to cook it and allow steam to release over medium to medium-low heat. Then, allow it to rest off the heat for 5 minutes. The pasta will continue to soak up sauce as it sits, steam will continue to release from the pan, and the sauce will thicken over time.
Recommended
📖 Recipe
Creamy Asparagus Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ small onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 ounces bow tie pasta, uncooked
- 16 ounces vegetable broth
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 8 ounces asparagus
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- ¾ cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
Instructions
- In a sauté pan over medium heat, add butter. Once melted, add onions. Cook for about 3 to 4 minutes, or until onions begin to brown and turn translucent. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Add bow tie pasta, vegetable broth, red pepper flakes, and pepper to pan. Scrape to deglaze pan as needed. Bring to a simmer, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 9 minutes (or consult your pasta package directions and cook to al dente minus 4 minutes).
- Meanwhile, gently bend the bottom end of each asparagus spear until it breaks naturally (Usually 1-2 inches in from the bottom). Discard the woody ends, then slice spears into thirds.
- Uncover pan, add asparagus, and stir to combine. Cover and simmer for an additional 4 minutes (for very thin asparagus, reduce time to 3 minutes. For very thick asparagus, increase time to 5 minutes).
- Uncover pan. Most of liquid should be absorbed. Add heavy cream and parmesan cheese, stirring to combine. Cook for 2 minutes to heat through and allow cheese to melt.
- Remove from heat and allow to set for 5 minutes before serving (sauce will continue to thicken as it stands).
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- Broth variations: Vegetable broth can be substituted with chicken broth or beef broth.
- Want to use low sodium broth?: If using low sodium broth, you may want to add additional salt or herbs to the dish to make up for lost flavor.
- Pasta variations: If substituting bow tie pasta with another style of pasta, consult your pasta's cooking directions and adjust pasta cooking times accordingly.
- Storage: Leftovers will keep for 3-4 days in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator.
Made this last night according to recipe except didn’t have vegetable broth, I used chicken broth which I had on hand. I also added some leftover chicken & a couple dashes of Italian seasoning. It was scrumptious & will definitely make it again! Huge hit at our house!
Made this today it I added pesto and chicken.
This was so delicious. Can’t wait to have again.
I doubled the recipe and added the bowtie pasta as soon as the broth started to boil. I continued to stir it so the bottom would not stick. Broth evaporated quickly. I added only 3/4 c heavy cream when the pasta and asparagus were tender. No leftovers with this dish. Served with sautéed shrimp and garlic twists. Excellent recipe.
Really good and easy! Pretty spicy though, but not grab-the-milk spicy
I made this today and it was delicious. So few ingredients and easy to make. I followed the recipe exactly, and it turned out great (except that I also added peas, only because I love peas).
Thank you for this recipe! I will make this again!
Delicious!! I used different kind of pasta and used mozzarella cheese since I didn’t have parm. Also used precooked chicken strips. It was the best!!
I really enjoy this recipe! I love the little bit of kick from the red pepper. I tried doubling the recipe this last time though and there was too much liquid after I had added the asparagus. Should I reduce the broth if I’m doubling or is there something else to do?
Hi Erika, so glad you enjoy the recipe! I haven't tried doubling this recipe myself, but yes I'd recommend reducing the broth slightly. Depending on how much extra liquid was in the pan, I'd try reducing the broth by 1/2 cup - you can always add it in later if needed. If when adding the asparagus the sauce looks too liquidy, leave the lid off - this will help steam away a bit more of the liquid while your pasta cooks.
Delicious and easy! I thought I had bowtie pasta but didn't, so substituted medium shells, added mushrooms and a couple spoonfuls of homemade pesto ('cause I like my herbs) and it still came out perfectly cooked and, as I said at the beginning, delicious!
Pesto sounds like a great addition, glad you enjoyed it!
Slightly increased the amount of bow tie pasta, other ingredients. Added fresh mushrooms to the onion, garlic mixture before adding the asparagus and the vegetable broth. At td, I carefully stirred in salmon chunks to make it a main dish. It’s so yummy! Also liberally seasoned with a homemade herb salt. Oh, myyy!
The flavor was there but this turned out as soup for me
Hi Kelsey, I'm sorry to hear that your pasta did not turn out. What type of pasta did you use? Was it a regular uncooked pasta, or maybe a quick-cook or high protein pasta (like a lentil/bean pasta)? Most of the liquid should be absorbed when the pasta cooks.