Creamy Saffron Mint and Asparagus Pasta

This is a light and fragrant yet indulgent pasta, perfect for summer hosting.

10 minutes prep

15 minutes cook

Serves 3

Mia Jacobs

Ingredients

Saffon cream sauce:

1 tspsaffron threads

60mlhot water

1small onion, very finely diced

4 garlic cloves

145mlvegan white wine

25gcold vegan butter

250mlvegan cream

1 tbsplemon juice

1lemon, zest

4-5asparagus spears, thinly sliced diagonals

1-2 tbspnutritional yeast

a small handfulmint leaves, thinly sliced

to tastesalt and freshly cracked black pepper

1 tbspextra virgin olive oil

To serve:

350gdry spaghetti

small bunchrocket (arugala)

This recipe came about on a summer evening when something impressive yet stupidly simple was required to feed some guests. This is everything you could want from a pasta dish, deeply satisfying, perfectly citrussy and genuinely delicious and moreish.

Method

Steep the saffron threads in the hot water. Set to one side.

Heat a large frying pan (deep enough to hold the pasta once cooked) with olive oil. Once warm, add the onion and garlic with a pinch of sea salt and fry until starting to soften and turning translucent.

Cook the pasta according to packet instructions, removing from heat when very al dente. Save 200ml pasta water.

Add the white wine and bring to a vigorous simmer. Cook off the wine until at reduced by at least half then whisk in the cold butter bit by bit until a sauce comes together.

Add the saffron threads and water into the pan and simmer for a few minutes.

Pour in the vegan cream and stir to combine. Squeeze in the lemon juice then add the zest, thinly sliced asparagus and nutritional yeast.

Add the al dente spaghetti with plenty of pasta water to help form a sauce. Bring the heat up to high and stir to emulsify the sauce.

Finish with plenty of black pepper, salt to taste and the fresh mint leaves.

Serve with rocket, some nutritional yeast to sprinkle and enjoy!