Fettuccine Alfredo with Spring Peas and Asparagus
By Sammi Brondo — July 25, 2024
The perfect (almost) spring meal: delicious pasta, creamy sauce and fresh veggies. Plus, this meal is surprisingly easy to make.
You’ve gotta hand it to pasta: it’s probably the most versatile food there is.
Have it with tomato sauce, meat sauce, white sauce or plain with butter. You can make it into lasagna. Or even a salad!
Anyway, I usually stick to red sauce varieties, so it was fun to mix it up with this fettuccine alfredo.
Alfredo sauce is typically made with heavy cream. And while this one is made with cream, the final dish is also super light and refreshing.
I attribute that to the spring veggies – green peas and asparagus. They add texture and some fresh flavor.
Also, the lemon zest on top is key. It gives the entire dish such a fresh and light flavor.
And while you can definitely swap the heavy cream for regular milk or plant milk if you’d like, I’d also like to use this opportunity to remind you that it’s okay to eat meals made with things like heavy cream.
Overall, this dish is still full of different nutrients and, not only are a little extra calories and fat not a big deal in the long run, but they also make the meal more flavorful, satisfying, and filling.
Try this dish on its own or pair it with an easy protein source – like sliced grilled chicken, seared salmon or shrimp – for a delicious meal to eat any time.
Chop & cook the veggies
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the fettuccine and cook for about 10-12 minutes. Drain and rinse and set aside.
Roughly chop the asparagus. Add the olive oil to a large pan over medium high heat. Add the chopped asparagus and the peas. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until soft and lightly charred.
Remove the vegetables from the pan and set aside.
Mix & cook the sauce
Add the butter and garlic to the pan over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until butter has melted.
Add in the heavy cream and parmesan. Stir until smooth.
Add the pasta
Turn the heat off and add the cooked pasta and vegetables into the pan with the sauce. Toss until everything is evenly covered.
Garnish
Garnish with more parmesan cheese, lemon zest and fresh parsley and serve.
Notes
- Veggies: If you’re not a fan of asparagus, try using snap peas. And instead of green peas, you can also use frozen sweet corn.
- Pasta: If you don’t have fettuccine, you can swap for other types of pasta. I recommend other long shapes that will absorb a lot of the sauce, like spaghetti or linguine,
- Storage: Once made, store this dish in an airtight container in the fridge. It’ll stay for up to 5 days.
Ingredients
- 12 oz. fettuccine pasta
- 1 bunch asparagus
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup frozen green peas
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 1 ½ cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
- For garnish: lemon zest parsley
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the fettuccine and cook for about 10-12 minutes. Drain and rinse and set aside.
- Roughly chop the asparagus.
- Add the olive oil to a large pan over medium high heat. Add the chopped asparagus and the peas. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until soft and lightly charred.
- Remove the vegetables from the pan and set aside.
- Add the butter and garlic to the pan over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until butter has melted.
- Add in the heavy cream and parmesan. Stir until smooth.
- Turn the heat off and add the cooked pasta and vegetables into the pan with the sauce. Toss until everything is evenly covered.
- Garnish with more parmesan cheese, lemon zest and fresh parsley and serve.
