creamy vegan pasta with nori & shaved asparagus
Inspired by the creamy bucatini in Eric Kim’s book, Korean American, this gives me all the freshness of spring and the brine of the sea that I crave (a pisces, sorry), with minimal ingredients and effort. Use medium or large asparagus for this recipe because they will be easier to shave into ribbons that wrap deliciously around the noodles, making each bite perfect.
yield 2–3 servings
1 4-inch square kombu (optional)
8 ounces spaghetti
.70 ounces toasted nori seaweed snack sheets
1 cup unsweetened coconut cream
8 ounces asparagus, woody ends trimmed
4 scallions, thinly sliced on a diagonal
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves, grated or finely minced
1 tablespoon vegan butter, butter (if you aren’t vegan), or olive oil (optional)
1 lemon
for serving
sesame oil
gochugaru chili flakes (optional)
riffing
substitute frozen peas or baby spinach when asparagus is out of season
add toasted sesame seeds for a little crunch
add some heat with wasabi-flavored seaweed snacks
recipe prep
Bring a large pot of generously salted water (and kombu, if using) to a boil.
Meanwhile, crush seaweed snacks into a blender or food processor. Pulse until seaweed is broken down to coarse flakes. Add coconut cream and blend until smooth and creamy.
Cut asparagus tops from stalks, halve lengthwise, and set aside. Use a peeler to shave asparagus stalks into ribbons. Once stalks are too small to shave, thinly slice remaining pieces crosswise (we’re using it all!).
Cook pasta 3 minutes less than package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking liquid. Discard kombu.
Return same pot to medium heat with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add spaghetti, nori cream sauce, and ½ cup reserved pasta water. Cook, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens enough to coat the pasta, 2–3 minutes. Add more pasta water as needed if sauce gets too thick.
Remove from heat. Stir in all of the asparagus, scallions, and 1 tablespoon butter/butter alternative until butter is melted and everything is glossy. Zest lemon directly into the pasta, then juice the whole thing in as well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Divide into serving bowls and drizzle lightly with sesame oil. Sprinkle with gochugaru flakes, if using. Maybe some flaky salt, too, if you have it.
do it ahead make the coconut nori sauce and prep the scallions and asparagus the day before and store in the fridge until cooking time.
