Asparagus Carbonara

Incredibly delicious asparagus carbonara recipe! Creamy vegetarian pasta with green asparagus and carbonara sauce! Quick & easy to prepare favorite springtime dinner!

Spaghetti carbonara and asparagus fans, watch out. Here’s the best of both combined in one recipe. A vegetarian carbonara sauce, classically prepared but without bacon, with crunchy roasted green asparagus for a good portion of vitamins and taste.

Such a super simple and quickly prepared asparagus pasta, perfect for lunch or dinner.

Vegetarian Carbonara Sauce

Carbonara sauce is stirred together in no time and consists of egg, parmesan cheese, and heavy cream. The tricky thing about the sauce is that it should get a little warm in order to thicken just slightly, but not too hot, or you end up with scrambled eggs.

The best way to make it is to take the skillet completely off the heat before you toss the carbonara sauce with the spaghetti (the safe way for beginners). Or you can leave the skillet over very low heat (that’s how I do it)- you just have to be more careful if you are opting in for the second option.

One of the most important things is that you stir constantly! Once the sauce starts to thicken, the pasta is ready. Less is more when it comes to carbonara! 😉

Can you already imagine how delicious this creamy sauce tastes with crunchy sautéed green asparagus and spaghetti? One of my favorite springtime pasta recipes next to this vegan asparagus pasta alfredo.

Now let me show you how to make this creamy asparagus pasta recipe in just 20 minutes!

Asparagus Carbonara Recipe – Step-by-Step

Read through this visual step-by-step guide with lots of extra tips! The exact quantities and everything else you need to know for the recipe can be found in the recipe card below.

• Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salt water until al dente. Drain and set aside.
• Snap the rough ends of the asparagus and discard. Cut the asparagus into 1-inch pieces.

• Heat a large skillet with olive oil. Add minced onion and garlic, sauté for 3 minutes. Add asparagus and roast for 5 minutes. Season with a generous pinch of salt and pepper.

• Mix all ingredients for the carbonara sauce in a bowl.

• Add drained spaghetti and carbonara sauce to the skillet with the asparagus and toss for a few minutes over low heat until the sauce starts to thicken slightly. → You want to avoid that the carbonara sauce gets too hot or your eggs begin to scramble. Alternatively, take the skillet off the heat completely to prevent scrambled eggs, although I prefer when the sauce thickens just a tiny bit rather than being super runny! Up to you!
• Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Feel free to top it with additional parmesan cheese and chopped parsley or chives.

Recipe FAQ & Tips

How long does it stay fresh? Leftovers can be stored for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Although I highly recommend cooking only as much so that you don’t end up with leftovers as freshly cooked carbonara tastes best. If you reheat it, the eggs get cooked, resulting in a dry carbonara sauce. Still delicious, but not as creamy. 😉

Dairy-Free: You can easily make carbonara sauce with dairy-free whipped cream and dairy-free cheese. 

Vegan Asparagus Carbonara? If you prefer a vegan asparagus carbonara, use the vegan carbonara sauce from this Vegan Carbonara Recipe. The rest of the recipe remains the same.

Can I prepare this asparagus pasta dish with white asparagus? If you prefer white asparagus, you can definitely do this. The preparation remains the same, but you have to peel white asparagus prior to cooking.

More Asparagus Recipes You’ll Love:

• Vegan Asparagus Pasta Alfredo Style
• Asparagus Risotto
• Asparagus Cheese Tart
• Asparagus Quiche with Brie Cheese

📖 Recipe