Sunshine on a Plate: Spring Vegetable Tagliatelle with Lemon-Chive Sauce
Hello, spring enthusiasts! 🌱
As soon as the farmer's markets fill up with vibrant greens, I start craving dishes that are light, zesty, and bursting with fresh flavor. This Spring Vegetable Tagliatelle is exactly that—it's essentially sunshine served up on a plate!
We're tossing tender-crisp asparagus, peas, and green beans with ribbon-like tagliatelle, all coated in a bright, simple sauce made with fresh lemon juice, chives, and Dijon mustard. This recipe is healthy, low-fat, and so quick to make that you can have a gourmet meal ready in under 30 minutes. It's the ultimate weeknight celebration of the season!
Ready to taste spring? Let's dive into the recipe!
Spring Vegetable Tagliatelle with Lemon & Chive Sauce
This recipe brings the best of spring produce—asparagus, peas, and green beans—together with a bright, zesty sauce.
Yields: 4 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
| Category | Item | Quantity | Notes |
| Pasta | Tagliatelle pasta | 400g | Fettuccine or linguine work too! |
| Vegetables | Mixed spring vegetables (asparagus, green beans, peas, broad beans) | 450g | Use fresh or frozen (no need to thaw) |
| Sauce Base | Lemon | 1 whole | You'll need the zest and the juice |
| Dijon mustard | 1 tbsp | Adds crucial tang and depth | |
| Olive oil (Extra Virgin) | 1 tbsp | ||
| Snipped fresh chives | 3 tbsp | ||
| Reserved pasta water | 4 tbsp | Crucial for emulsifying the sauce | |
| Seasoning | Salt and freshly ground black pepper | To taste | |
| Grated Parmesan or vegetarian hard cheese (optional) | For serving |
Instructions
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Prep the Water and Veg: Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Halve the green beans and cut the asparagus into 3-4 cm pieces.
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Cook the Pasta & Veg: Add the tagliatelle to the boiling water and cook according to package instructions until just al dente. Add all the chopped spring vegetables to the pasta water for the final 4–5 minutes of the cooking time.
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Make the Sauce: While the pasta cooks, grate the zest from half the lemon and set it aside for garnish. Squeeze the juice from the whole lemon into a small pan. Add the Dijon mustard, olive oil, and a little black pepper to the lemon juice.
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Emulsify: Warm the sauce through gently over low heat until it is smooth and slightly fragrant. Before draining the pasta, scoop out approximately 4 tablespoons of the starchy pasta water and whisk it into the lemon sauce mixture. Turn off the heat and stir in most of the snipped chives (reserve some for garnish).
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Toss: Drain the pasta and vegetables together in a colander, then return them to the large, empty cooking pot. Pour the bright lemon-chive sauce over the pasta and vegetables. Toss everything together vigorously until well combined and the sauce lightly coats the pasta.
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Serve: Divide the tagliatelle among four bowls. Finish each serving with a sprinkle of the reserved lemon zest, the remaining fresh chives, and a generous grating of Parmesan (if using).
Enjoy this burst of spring!
