This vegan and gluten free lemon butter spaghetti with purple snap peas and crushed pistachios is like a bowl of springtime comfort food! A sprinkle of vegan feta gives it a salty, tangy finish.
This lemon butter spaghetti with purple snap peas and crushed pistachios is a bowl of springtime comfort food! Spaghetti and cultured vegan butter = simple carb-y comfort. Normally, I wouldn’t be able to enjoy snap peas yet but one of my local farms was able to grow a beautiful winter crop in their high tunnel. It was so nice to have a little spring teaser, especially one in such a beautiful shade of purple!
This dish is a perfect example of the joy of eating seasonally. Sometimes, you get a lovely surprise like a purple snap pea in February. A surprise which wouldn’t be possible (or even hold the same meaning) if purchased from a grocery store. A surprise like this sparks creativity and leads to new and exciting dishes. Or at the very least, delights you with it’s sweet taste and gorgeous hue if it simply acts as a raw snack amidst a hectic schedule.
Obviously, you can adapt this recipe to what is locally and seasonally available to you. Your snap peas can be green instead of purple and if you only have shelled peas available to you, those will work, too! Other spring veg that would work in place of the snap peas include asparagus and caramelized pieces of roasted fennel. Whatever springtime veg you use, I hope you enjoy this recipe!
Want more spring recipe inspiration? Head here!
Lemon Butter Spaghetti with Purple Snap Peas & Pistachios
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
This vegan and gluten free lemon butter spaghetti with purple snap peas and crushed pistachios is like a bowl of springtime comfort food! A sprinkle of vegan feta gives it a salty, tangy finish.
Ingredients
- 1 pint (2 cups) sugar snap peas (check notes for alternatives!)
- 8 oz spaghetti (I used a GF one made with quinoa and corn)
- 8 tbsp vegan butter
- 1 minced shallot, about 4 tbsp
- sea salt, to taste
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (you’ll need about 2 lemons)
- 1/2 cup crushed or finely chopped raw pistachios
- 1/4 – 1/2 cup crumbled vegan or regular feta cheese
Instructions
Blanche your snap peas first: Remove the stem end of each snap pea. Cut each snap pea into two or three pieces so that they are bite-sized. Fill a large pot with water. Bring it to a boil, then add a good pinch of salt. Add all of your prepared snap peas to the boiling water. Allow them to blanche for just 1 minute before removing them, straining them, and setting them aside to cool. Feel free to use the same water for your spaghetti to eliminate waste.
Make the spaghetti: either using the water from your snap peas or using a fresh batch, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook it according to the package directions. Once it’s ready, strain it and set it aside.
Make the lemon butter sauce: while the spaghetti is cooking, start the sauce. Add the butter to a large skillet. Set the burner to just under medium heat. Once the butter fully melts, add the minced shallot and a small pinch of salt. Cook the shallot until it is beginning to turn translucent, about 2-4 minutes, then add the lemon zest. Cook for 1 minute then add the fresh lemon juice and another small pinch of salt. Cook the sauce for an additional minute then turn the heat to low until your spaghetti is ready.
Put everything together: Toss the cooked spaghetti and the blanched snap peas in the lemon butter sauce. Turn the heat up a bit to medium low to allow the dish to heat through. Once the temperature is to your liking, plate your spaghetti. Top each portion with about 2 tbsp of the crushed pistachios and 1-2 tbsp of the crumbled feta.
Enjoy!
Notes
You can use green snap peas instead of purple ones. You can also sub in an equal amount of shelled peas or diced asparagus. Please note that if you do use purple snap peas, they will react with the acid in the lemon juice and begin to turn a pinkish color! This won’t affect their taste, just the color.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
