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
IMG_2154 2.jpg

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!

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    Mia Jacobs

    Mia Jacobs

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    Mia is a self-taught cook with an obsession with street food and an absolute hatred for parsnips. Before joining Twisted Green, Mia founded an online vegan cooking school in the midst of the global pandemic and began teaching people all over the world how to cook incredible vegan food from the comfort of their own homes. Her mission was, and still is, to help transform kitchens everywhere from a daunting space to one that’s filled with the irresistible aroma of frying garlic, and some very special plant-based grub. She also believes that crisps and hummus are a gift to humanity.

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