This Gluten Free Spring Veggie Pasta is fresh and bright with lemon, asparagus, peas, and mint. Serve it with your favorite gluten free pasta and you have an easy healthy meal!
Gluten free dishes are becoming more popular as more people are discovering they have gluten intolerance or sensitivity. Fortunately, there are now many types of gluten-free ingredients and recipes available! Here are some of my favorite gluten free recipes like Gluten Free Breaded Fish, Gluten Free Chicken Meatballs, and Gluten Free Green Pasta Sauce.
Jump to RecipeWhy this recipe works
- Simple ingredients. A few simple, wholesome ingredients come together for a delicious fresh dish.
- Fresh. Adding fresh veggies to pasta is a great way to lighten it up.
- Reduce food waste. Great way to use up veggies in your fridge!
- Easy weeknight dinner. Ready in under 30 minutes!
- Gluten free
Ingredients
- Pasta - You can use your favorite gluten free pasta, or use regular pasta if you don’t have dietary restrictions. Use your favorite pasta shape.
- Unsalted Butter - Butter plus starchy pasta water makes up the base of this light sauce.
- Lemon - This recipe calls for lemon juice and lemon zest.
- Veggies - I use frozen peas and fresh asparagus for this recipe, but it works well with a variety of vegetables. You can use your favorite vegetables or what you have on hand, like spinach, zucchini, mushrooms, bell peppers, or cherry tomatoes.
- Fresh Herbs - This recipe uses fresh mint, but you can also use fresh basil instead.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Best gluten free pastas
There are so many gluten free pasta brands available now. There are even versions made from veggies like chickpea pasta and lentil pasta. Some can become mushy when cooked, so I’ve tried multiple brands. Here are my favorites for gluten free pasta recipes!
Jovial - Their tagliatelle and rotini are both so good. The tagliatelle only takes a few minutes to cook. It also tastes exactly like traditional fresh pasta and has a great texture. The rotini doesn’t get mushy and tastes delicious.
Tolerant - I love their green lentil penne pasta. It is high in protein (25g plant-based protein per serving!) and doesn’t get mushy. They also have red lentil and chickpea pastas.
Trader Joe's - For this pasta dish I used their brown rice pasta. The quinoa and brown rice fusilli is probably my favorite gluten free pasta. I also love their egg fettuccine as a fresh pasta alternative. It cooks within 3-4 minutes and soaks up flavor for pastas with butter sauce.
Barilla - The corn & rice spaghetti tastes so good. Beware, your kitchen will smell like corn while you cook it! This is my go-to for spaghetti.
How to make asparagus and pea pasta
Cook pasta to al dente and reserve some pasta water. Chop asparagus and mint.
Melt butter and add lemon zest, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, and half a cup of pasta water to the pan and stir.
Add in asparagus and peas with cooked pasta and more pasta water. Stir and simmer for a few minutes.
Top with fresh mint and serve warm!
Variations
- More veggies. Feel free to add any fresh vegetables you have on hand, like fresh tomatoes, broccoli, corn, red onion, kale, red bell pepper, or arugula.
- Make it cheesy. Top with freshly grated parmesan cheese for some added flavor.
- Seasonings. Add in extra seasonings if needed like garlic powder, Italian seasoning, or even fresh garlic.
- Roast it. Roasting vegetables before adding them to the pasta will add a delicious layer of flavor.
- Change up the sauce. If you’re not a fan of butter sauce, swap it out for marinara sauce or a creamy sauce.
- Add a protein. This pasta also goes great with grilled chicken breast or shrimp!
Expert Tips
- Don’t overcook gluten free pasta, or it can become mushy.
- This gluten free pasta dish is perfect for using up any extra veggies in your fridge!
- Storage directions - Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
More pasta dishes
- Dairy Free Pink Pasta Sauce
- Pasta with Sausage and Broccolini
- Green Pasta Sauce (Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free)
- Protein Pasta Salad (Gluten Free + Vegetarian)
If you try this recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below so I know what you think! Follow Elise Tries to Cook on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest, and Subscribe via email to receive the latest recipes!
📖 Recipe
Spring Vegetarian Pasta with Butter Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 10 OZ Pasta (penne, rigatoni, shells, orecchiette)
- 2 tablespoon Salt
- 8-10 Cups Water
Pasta Sauce
- 6 tablespoon Unsalted Butter
- 1 Lemon zested and juiced
- ¾ Cup Pasta Water reserved from cooking pasta
- ½ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
Vegetables & Herbs
- ¾ Cup Frozen Petit Peas
- 1 Cup Asparagus about 1 bundle; thoroughly washed
- ¼ Cup Mint thoroughly washed
Instructions
Cook Pasta & Prep Veggies
- Bring water to boil in a large pot. Once at a boil, add the salt and stir. Add in the pasta and cook per the box instructions. Check your pasta for doneness 2-3 minutes before suggested time. Pasta should be chewy.
- While the pasta cooks, remove the bottoms of the asparagus that are too tough to eat. Do this by holding the center and bottom of the asparagus and snap it where it bends. Cut the other asparagus in the same spot and throw out the bottoms.
- Next, cut the asparagus so that each piece is 2 inches tall (typically chop each piece in two equal parts). Keep to the side.
- Stack mint leaves flat on top of each other. Roll horizontally to look like a cigar. Chop with the mint roll horizontal to your body and knife.
- When the pasta is done cooking, save 1 cup of pasta water and then drain.
Make the Sauce & Mix Together
- Melt the unsalted butter on medium-low heat in a medium pot.
- Once melted, add the lemon zest, lemon juice, red pepper flakes and ½ cup of the pasta water. Stir and cook for a few minutes until thickened and combined.
- Add the asparagus and stir. Add the frozen peas, cooked pasta and another ¼ cup of reserved pasta water.
- Stir to combine and let cook together for 2-minutes. If too dry, add a little more pasta water and continue to stir.
- Turn off heat and pour into a serving dish or directly into individual bowls.
- Top with freshly chopped mint.
Notes
- Thicken the butter sauce by cooking it on low temperature with lemon juice and pasta water. The salt in the pasta water not only helps flavor the butter sauce, but the starch in it also helps it.
- Don’t overcook gluten free pasta, or it can become mushy.
- This gluten free pasta dish is perfect for using up any extra veggies in your fridge!
- Storage directions - Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
Chelsea
Absolutely LOVE this pasta! I used vegan butter, adding mushrooms and zucchini. It was delish, and I will def make again.
Elise Shivamber
So glad you enjoyed it Chelsea! Adding mushrooms and zucchini is a great idea!
Gabe
This is one of my go to pastas! I always ask my fiancé to make it for me. I love the flavor combination!
Elise Shivamber
Gabe, I love that! This is one of my go-to's also! I'm glad you love it too!
Sara
This was so good! I made it with some chicken on the side and it was delicious! It felt so light but really filling. Perfect for a hot summer night! And it was really easy to make which was even better. Might have to make this a new go-to recipe!
Elise Shivamber
Sara, I love the idea of adding chicken! Sausage or chopped deli meats like prosciutto or salami is another great option if you want to mix it up! Glad you liked it!
Nolan
Great recipe for about $5 at the store! Also added chicken to mine when I made it, making it more filling and last a bit longer - got a week's worth of great dinners for a cheap price!