Asparagus pasta with peas and caramelized onion sauce

Delicious Spring asparagus pasta recipe with peas and caramelized onion sauce! Easy to prepare, and loaded with rich flavor.

This asparagus pasta post was originally published in March 2015 and updated June 2019.

Hello, Rhubarbarians! And helloooooo amazing spring pasta dishes!

This pasta is one of my faves. It's super flavorful thanks to amazingly rich caramelized onions. The onions are used as the sauce for this pasta with asparagus and peas. OMG SO DELICIOUS!

Although asparagus is my favorite spring veggie, there are only a few asparagus recipes on the blog. I usually keep things simple and just roast asparagus with some olive oil and s&p. It gets gobbled up so quickly! But, sometimes I get fancy and make a WOW dish.

Hint hint nudge nudge: this asparagus soup is my all-time favorite spring soup!

How to make caramelized onion pasta sauce

Let's be real: the real star of this dish is the caramelized onion sauce! It's just so rich and flavorful, but not heavy at all. I use this same sauce regularly. This cheese tortellini with onion sauce is a fave!

The sauce does take quite a while to make, but is really simple and mostly hands off. Here's how:

• Start by sautéing the onions in some butter, olive oil, and a bit of sugar. I recommend using a cast iron skillet for this. When they start to turn brown, reduce the heat to low.
• Caramelize those onions! Slowly cook them, stirring occasionally until they are a caramel color and are nice and jammy.
• After adding the veggies and the cheese, a bit of sherry cooking wine finishes off the sauce.

How to make pasta with asparagus and peas

Let's combine that sauce with the veggies!

• When the onions are caramelized, add the trimmed asparagus and cook until al-dente.
• Add the peas and the sherry cooking wine, then add the cooked pasta directly to the pan with the onions and veggies.
• Stir in all the cheese and season with some salt and pepper.

Asparagus pasta with peas and caramelized onion sauce recipe

5 from 7 votes

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Asparagus pasta with peas and caramelized onion sauce

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

1 hr 15 mins

Total Time

1 hr 20 mins

 

Delicious Spring asparagus pasta recipe with peas and caramelized onion sauce! Easy to prepare, and loaded with rich flavor.

Course: Main Course, pasta

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keyword: vegetarian

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 498 kcal

Author: Trish Bozeman

Ingredients

• 6 Tbsp salted butter
• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 large sweet yellow onions, sliced peeled and cut into 1/4"
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1 lb thin fresh asparagus tough ends removed
• 10 oz fresh English peas
• 1/3 cup sherry cooking wine
• 10 oz fresh egg pasta noodles like fettuccine or linguine
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese* plus more for serving
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Heat butter and oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sugar and stir to combine. Cook for about 5 minutes, until onions are just starting to brown. Give a good stir and reduce heat to medium low. Continue to cook until onions are brown and caramelized, about an hour, stirring every 10 minutes. Be patient here! You want those onions to be brown and rich with flavor!*
2. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions, and prepare your vegetables and grate your cheese.
3. When onions are caramelized, stir in the asparagus and cook until al dente, about 5 minutes.
4. Add the peas and the sherry, and cook for another 2 minutes, then toss in the cooked pasta. When well combined, add cheese and toss until cheese is melted and pasta is well coated with onion sauce.
5. Season well with salt and pepper.
6. Serve with extra freshly grated parmesan cheese

Recipe Notes

*Be sure to choose vegetarian parmesan if you are a vegetarian

Nutrition Facts

Asparagus pasta with peas and caramelized onion sauce

Amount Per Serving

Calories 498 Calories from Fat 216

% Daily Value*

Fat 24g37%

Saturated Fat 10g50%

Cholesterol 38mg13%

Sodium 239mg10%

Potassium 503mg14%

Carbohydrates 55g18%

Fiber 7g28%

Sugar 11g12%

Protein 15g30%

Vitamin A 1360IU27%

Vitamin C 28.7mg35%

Calcium 153mg15%

Iron 3.2mg18%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

*If you need help determining when your onions are fully caramelized, watch this video, but do not remove the excess liquid. This is the sauce!

If you make this recipe, please let me know on social media or in the comments below! Leave a star rating in your comment or tag me on Instagram with #Rhubarbarians.

Thank you so much for reading and supporting Rhubarbarians and the brands that I recommend. If you’re looking for a group of people cooking vegetarian recipes through the seasons, join us on Facebook in our vegetarian and vegan recipes group!

Hope you try out this beautiful pasta dish!

Trish

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