Asparagus Noodles With Alfredo Sauce And Bacon

I shave thick asparagus spears into long, thin ribbons with a straight vegetable peeler and use them the way I would use pasta. The noodles cook in a covered skillet for about 3 minutes, then get a homemade Alfredo sauce made with garlic, heavy cream, cream cheese, mozzarella, Italian seasoning, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Crumbled bacon and Parmesan go on top. It takes about 30 minutes and makes 4 servings.

For two more vegetable recipes, try my Broccoli Fritters and Zucchini Boats.

Thick asparagus spears are easy to peel into long, thin strips to yield pasta-like noodles. You’ll just need a vegetable peeler.

Asparagus noodles are a good change from zucchini noodles, and they keep a fresh asparagus flavor under the creamy sauce.

💛 Why you’ll love this recipe

• A 30-minute recipe.
• The Alfredo sauce is made in the same pan as the bacon, so it picks up the bacon drippings.
• A fun way to get in some extra veggies.

➡️ Ingredients

• Jumbo asparagus
• Bacon
• Minced garlic
• Heavy whipping cream
• Cream cheese
• Shredded mozzarella cheese
• Italian seasoning
• Salt
• Freshly cracked black pepper
• Red pepper flakes
• Avocado oil
• Grated Parmesan cheese or shredded Parmesan cheese

(Need ingredient substitution suggestions? See that section below for my recommendations.)

⏲ How to make asparagus noodles with Alfredo sauce and bacon

This is an overview of the recipe’s instructions. The full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

• Shave Asparagus: Using a vegetable peeler with a straight blade, with asparagus lying down on a cutting board and holding each piece at its tip, shave the asparagus into thin strips. (It’s OK if some of the asparagus noodles are thicker than others.) Set aside.
• Cook Bacon: In a large pan over medium heat, cook the bacon slices until crisp, about 8 to 10 minutes, turning them occasionally. Then, transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate to de-grease and set aside. Do not discard the bacon grease.
• Begin Preparing Sauce: In the same pan over medium-low heat, add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, which should take about 1 minute. Reduce the stovetop heat to low (it’s important that you do this to ensure the sauce does not break). Then, add in the heavy cream and the cream cheese, and cook until the cream cheese has melted, stirring frequently and breaking up the cream cheese with the back of a rubber spatula as it melts. If the mixture starts to bubble or boil at any point, immediately remove it from the heat to avoid the sauce breaking.

• Finish Preparing Sauce: Add the shredded mozzarella, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Simmer until thickened, about 2 minutes. Again, be sure to watch carefully to avoid the mixture bubbling or boiling. Remove pan from heat and set aside.
• Cook Asparagus Noodles: In a separate large skillet over medium heat, heat the avocado oil. Add the asparagus noodles, cover the pan with a lid, and cook until the asparagus noodles are tender, which will take about 3 minutes. Toss them once or twice with tongs as they cook.
• Crumble Bacon: While the asparagus noodles cook, crumble the cooked bacon.
• Garnish And Serve: Transfer the cooked asparagus noodles to plates, spoon the Alfredo sauce atop the noodles, and garnish the dish with the crumbled bacon and grated or shredded Parmesan cheese.

👉 Ingredient substitution suggestions

• Bacon: Turkey bacon or pancetta can be used.
• Minced Garlic: Mince 3 to 4 garlic cloves in place of the jarred minced garlic. Alternatively, use ½ teaspoon of garlic powder.
• Italian Seasoning: A mixture of dried oregano and dried basil will work.
• Avocado Oil: Butter or olive oil can be subbed in here at a 1:1 substitution ratio.

〰️ How to serve

• Vegetables – Serve alongside creamy broccoli with sun-dried tomatoes or sautéed mushrooms.
• Salad – Serve with an Italian green salad.
• Soup – Include bowls of creamy Italian sausage soup alongside the asparagus noodles.
• Bread and Pastries – Serve with garlic bread rounds or chicken stuffed crescent rolls.
• Protein – Serve alongside air fryer breaded chicken thighs, baked parmesan salmon, or smoked shotgun shells.

➜ Cooking and recipe tips

• Use jumbo asparagus spears that are thick. The thicker stalks will yield more noodles.
• Cut the asparagus ends with a sharp knife on a cutting board right between where the white turns into green. This will remove the woody ends that you won’t want to eat.
• Use a straight-edged vegetable peeler to shave the asparagus into noodles. Not a knife or a Y-peeler. With a straight vegetable peeler, you will easily be able to hold the tip of the asparagus (the pointy side) and slide the straight edge of the peeler down the asparagus to yield the noodles. It may take you a few tries to get the hang of it but, once you do, you can usually do this pretty quickly. It’s fine if some of the asparagus noodles are thicker than others.

💬 FAQs

📚 More creative vegetable recipes

• Broccoli Fritters
• Zucchini Boats
• Golden Baked Jicama Fries
• Cauliflower Risotto With Mushrooms