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This simple asparagus and mushroom pasta recipe is a light and flavorful meatless dish that comes together quickly and tastes like spring! It’s made with very few ingredients.
Try my Easy Roasted Asparagus or Easy Asparagus Soup next.
Why you’ll love it
Asparagus season is my favorite, and this easy asparagus pasta with mushrooms is the best way to welcome in spring. It packs in a ton of flavor while being on the lighter side. The burst of lemon juice really makes this pasta special. The buttery sauce is so elegant!
One lovely reader says that she couldn’t believe how great this asparagus mushroom pasta tasted with so little effort! It uses everyday ingredients, and the mushrooms become infused all that garlicky, lemony goodness. It’s the perfect 30-minute spring pasta.
What you’ll need
- Pasta – I chose bowtie, but you can use another shape
- Asparagus – the star of the show! I have lots of tips throughout the post for choosing it.
- Butter and olive oil – for sautéing and making the base of the sauce
- Mushrooms – I chose white mushrooms aka button mushrooms
- Garlic – for more savory flavor
- Lemon juice – it adds acidity and freshness
- Parmesan – totally optional but highly recommended
Pro tip
When you’re at the grocery store or farmers’ market choosing a bunch of asparagus, look for a bright, vibrant shade of green. The stalks should be thicker rather than thinner and not have any cracks. In fresh, healthy asparagus, you’ll want to have tips that are nicely compact and tight!
Helpful tips
- I find it easiest to trim asparagus by leaving the elastic band on the bunch and cutting off the dry, woody ends all in one go with a sharp knife.
- You could also just snap off the ends, but that does take longer and could also discard more than necessary.
How to make asparagus mushroom pasta
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Boil the pasta until al dente. Meanwhile, melt the butter and olive oil in a skillet. Cut the asparagus into bite-sized pieces, and add to the pan. Cook for a few minutes until tender-crisp. Add the mushrooms, and cook until softened.
Stir in the garlic, lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Cook for a few minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving a little pasta water for the sauce if desired. Toss the pasta with the sauce. Serve, and top with parmesan if using.
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- This is the skillet I use to make this vegetarian pasta.
- A garlic press makes it super quick to mince garlic without even peeling the cloves.
- If you’re topping with fresh parm, grate it with a Microplane zester.
Substitutions and variations
- If you don’t have any white mushrooms, cremini/baby bellas or whatever variety you’ve got on hand will be just fine.
- Toss in a handful of fresh spinach towards the end for some extra greens.
- Other reader suggestions include adding in cooked chicken and topping with grated lemon zest.
What to serve with mushroom asparagus pasta
- Pair with a slice of fresh crusty bread like a French baguette with olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping. A glass of white wine would also be great if that’s your thing!
- If you’re craving a salad, try my Super Simple Parmesan Arugula Salad or spring mix with my Creamy Balsamic Dressing.
Leftovers and storage
- Store leftovers in the fridge for a few days in the fridge in an airtight container.
- If you’re anticipating having a lot left over, I would suggest storing the sauce separately and boiling up fresh pasta when you’re ready to eat.
- I don’t recommend freezing this one.
If you made this healthy asparagus and mushroom pasta recipe, please leave a star rating and review below! You can also tag me on Instagram if you made it or any S&L recipe.
Asparagus and Mushroom Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 ounces uncooked bowtie pasta
- 1/2 pound asparagus ends trimmed
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 ounces white mushrooms
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- Juice of 1/2 lemon approx. 2 tablespoons
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese optional but recommended, to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta al dente according to package directions.
- Meanwhile, in a skillet, melt the butter and olive oil over medium heat.
- Cut the asparagus into roughly 1.5" pieces. Add the asparagus to the pan and cook for 3-5 minutes (depending on thickness of asparagus).
- Add the mushrooms to the skillet and cook for a few minutes, until the mushrooms are softened.
- Add the garlic, lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Stir and cook for a couple more minutes. Prior to draining the pasta, you can add a few tablespoons of the hot pasta water to the skillet if desired. Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss until combined. Serve immediately with freshly grated parmesan cheese.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
© Salt & Lavender Inc. Content and photographs are copyrighted. Sharing this blog post is much appreciated, but copying and pasting full recipes without authorization to social media is strictly prohibited.
This recipe was originally published on March 18, 2016. It’s been tweaked to be even easier, tastier, and has new photos!
Hi there,
I’m planning on making this today for Easter.
How many people does this serve?
I have to make enough for 10 people
Hi Ashley! It serves 2. Hope you guys enjoy it. 😊
This sounds very yummy and easy to make (2 top criteria for me!) but I think you left out a step – you should remove and discard the woody ends of the asparagus. I also suggest reversing the cooking order, as if you cook the asparagus first it’ll get very soft and mushy by the time the mushrooms are done. I think it will work better if you saute the mushrooms until golden and then add the asparagus, cooking until al dente (2 – 3 minutes). Reserve some of the pasta water and add it and some more butter to the pan, to create a sauce.
Anyhow, I plan to try this tonight, over gnocchi. Thank you for the great ideas.
Hi Edith! Good point – this was one of my earlier recipes, and I’ll add in a note re: the asparagus ends (I usually include it in my asparagus recipes these days). It worked well when I prepared it, but feel free to cook it in the order you prefer. Over gnocchi sounds fab!
Thanks for the inspiration Natasha, I melted paprika into a famous irish butter and added fresh thyme.
Sorry forgot to give you my stars!
Thank you! 😁
Awesome!! Sounds yummy!
Delicious, thank you for the simple recipe.
You’re welcome, Tim! So glad you enjoyed it.
Made this tonight with some leftover chicken sausages, it turned out awesome.
Excellent!!
Made this tonight for dinner for my husband and I and it was delicious! Simple, fast, healthy, and flavorful. Can’t ask for more than that! Thank you for a great recipe.
So glad you two liked it, Victoria! 🙂
Can we grate the Parmesan (or Pecorino Romano) directly on to the served plate. Grated cheese loses its aroma incredibly quickly and if you have a wedge of cheese and a grater to hand, why not?
Absolutely.
Greetings from the good ol u s of aOmg wow cool luv shrooms and asparagus gotta try and make this after Passover looks like a very springy and summery meal do u throw in cheese or leave it out I’m such a cheese addict lol that’s y I asked btw pretty cool site
Looking really good Natasha! I’m a huge fan of this ingredient list. Believe it or not, I was just having a conversation about gaining a few, ahem, pounds since I started food blogging. As luck would have it, I happened to see your new post this evening. I may have to begin including more health conscious recipes on my blog. It’s for this reason, I appreciate the “optional” freshly grated Parmesan cheese in your recipe.
I wonder if this happens a lot. I remember reading on a blogger’s “About” page that they now write healthy recipes because they gained 20 pounds since they began their blog. I didn’t think much of it, but I have a funny feeling I’m going to have to start jump roping again.
Anyway, this looks like a really great recipe and I’ll certainly give it a shot. Thanks for sharing and perfect job, as usual, with your extremely attractive photos!
Jay
Thanks for the thoughtful comment, Jay! Gaining weight has definitely been a concern of mine as well. I’ve tried to closely monitor my portions since I started the blog, especially if I’m creating a series of recipes that aren’t the healthiest! It’s definitely a challenge sometimes.
Gosh your photos are beautiful! This is perfect for Spring!
Thanks Shannon!!
Apparently, I made nearly this this evening and then found your recipe much later when I was curious if there were any asparagus-mushroom-pasta recipes out there (assumed there was but never sure until I see them). I used a little more asparagus and garlic and a bit less mushroom, as well as a healthy dose of crushed red chile flakes (more than I intended in fact when they kind of dumped out–but we are Indian so no problem). Reserved pasta water is not optional in my opinion–mandatory for finishing the dish. One other difference: I did not add the lemon juice until the very end (after plating–bowling more accurately–and adding the sprinkling cheese). My wife loved it. I put another portion for her lunch tomorrow, but left out the lemon juice (she will be microwaving it at work and that would destroy the vitamin C), and instead I added some chopped fresh basil and a few pine nuts to that portion (pesto deconstructed, I guess). I gave you four stars above, though I have never made your recipe per se, but a rating was required.
Hi Richard!! I’m glad you nearly made my recipe haha. Sounds good to me! 🙂