Spring Asparagus Pasta

This light and fresh asparagus pasta dish are one of our very favorite spring recipes. Asparagus is a spring veggie and is best eaten when the stalks are thin and crisp. The larger the diameter of the stalk, the tougher the asparagus will be. Give this delicious, seasonal pasta dish a try and enjoy spring asparagus as much as you can while it’s available! Let me know how you like it.

Ingredients

1 package of unseasoned tempeh, cubed

1 sweet onion, diced

½ tablespoon olive oil

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 zucchini, chopped

1 bunch of thin, crisp, in-season asparagus, root end trimmed off, then cut into 3 inch lengths

Gluten free pasta of your choice

Black sesame seeds for garnish

Salt to taste

Directions

Sauté the onion in the olive oil until it’s soft. Add the tempeh and a little salt and continue sautéing until the onion is caramelized and the tempeh is brown on the edges. Pour into a bowl and set it aside.

In the same pan, sauté the red bell pepper and zucchini until they begin to soften. Season the veggies with salt to your liking.

While the veggies are cooking, boil the pasta according to the package instructions. Don’t overcook it though. It needs to be al dente so it doesn’t crumble when it’s tossed with the rest of the ingredients.

Once the pepper and zucchini have softened a bit, toss in the asparagus and sauté until it turns bright green. The veggies are done when they are fork-tender but still retain their bright colors.

Transfer the veggies into a large bowl. Add the tempeh and onion. When the pasta is done, drain it and add it to the bowl with the other ingredients. Using a set of thongs or a large spoon, stir and toss the veggies, pasta and tempeh in the bowl until well mixed. Be careful not to break up the pasta.

Serve hot with a sprinkling of black sesame seeds on top.

*We like topping this dish with crumbled feta cheese because it gives it a nice punch of flavor. However, it’s delicious as a vegan dish as well. If you try it, I’d love to know what you thought so feel free to leave me a comment. Enjoy!