Easy light and delicious lemon garlic and asparagus pasta
Easy, light and delicious lemon, garlic and asparagus pasta in under 20 minutes.
For as long as I can remember, I would describe myself as “not a big pasta person.”
It almost always left me feeling bloated, uncomfortable and just low vibes all around so I would avoid it if I could.
But through my explorations in food, and how they’re digested and processed in the body, I’ve learned how to properly pair ingredients and create delicious meals that diminish things like bloating and discomfort, so I’m left feeling good, light and energized.
And it’s not just pasta, either. There are a ton of things I’ve been able to eat and enjoy more in the last 10 years than ever before in my life. It’s awesome.
This week, I did a lot of things to asparagus in my kitchen. My favorite was this simple lemon garlic asparagus pasta combination.
So flavorful, not at all oily, easy to digest, and filling enough that you weren’t thinking about your next meal an hour later.
Keep scrolling for all the details…
Health perks
Lots to love about Asparagus. It’s rich in folate, important for all of us but especially pregnant women as it’s essential for fetal growth and development. It’s a great vegetable to facilitate weight loss; very low calories, 94% water based, and a good amount of fiber, which we know is linked to weight loss and lower body weight. Depending on where you live, you can probably get it locally at the moment because it’s in season until around June. Local and seasonal means produce is fresher, tastier and far more nutritious than when consumed out of season. It’s also easier to find, more affordable and invites change into your diet.
The bulk of this meal is vegetables, so it is filling and fibrous. It’s also very flavorful (thanks lemon zest!), all of these things mean you should be left satisfied and not wondering when it’s time to eat again.
A small handful of brown rice pasta gives you an additional boost of fiber. I like it because it has a similar consistency and taste to white flour pasta but contains a bit more protein and fiber, to help the body digest it at a slower rate.
It contains a very small amount of oil, but if you find oil at all aggravating or need to avoid it for health reasons, you can easily leave it out and sauté the asparagus in water or vegetable broth.
It follows food combining principles, for smoother, more efficient digestion and optimizing energy.
Other thoughts, tips and suggestions
Some things to think about before you set out to make it…
You can use any pasta you like. Flavor wise, I recommend something similar to brown rice or white pasta, since it absorbs the lemon and garlic so perfectly and doesn’t overpower like legume pastas tend to.
If you want to do a parmesan thing, try adding a tablespoon of this. It’s freaking delicious.
For additional health benefits, try blanching your asparagus first and giving it a very quick, low-heat saute with the cooked noodles, lemon and garlic. Blanching preserves nutrients but also gives you brighter color, better texture and more flavor. I love it.
Keep scrolling for the full recipe. I hope you love it as much as I do.
Lemon Garlic and Asparagus Pasta
Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 10-15 minutes | Yields: 3-4 servings
Ingredients:
1 cup brown rice pasta
1 bunch of asparagus
A wee bit of olive oil or splash of vegetable broth or water for sautéing.
Salt and black pepper, to taste
1 garlic clove, grated
Directions
First, prepare your pasta. Fill a medium sauce pan with water and a pinch of salt, bring to a boil, add your pasta and cook at a medium to high heat for about 10 minutes (or until soft). When cooking is finished, drain the water and run pasta under cool water for a moment.
While the pasta cooks, prepare your asparagus. Blanch first if you’re blanching. Add asparagus to a medium size pan, with oil or broth, and cook for about 5-7 minutes on a medium heat, stirring often. For an ever deeper flavor, splash a bit of pasta water over the asparagus while it cooks.
Reduce heat on the asparagus to a low, stir in your cooked pasta, and add lemon juice and zest and grated garlic, salt and pepper. Cook for another 1-2 minutes, until everything is well combined.
Serve warm. Pair with this if you’re into parmesan.
Leftovers can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for a few days.
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