Creamy Asparagus Pasta

A saute pan filled with bow tie pasta and asparagus.

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.

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 22

Total Time 27

Servings servings

Author Heather

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.
Cook to al dente according to your pasta's package directions, 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 to finish cooking the pasta and asparagus.
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).

Video

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.

Nutrition