Pesto Pasta Salad With Roasted Tomatoes And Asparagus Recipes

PENNE PASTA SALAD WITH SUN DRIED TOMATOES, ASPARAGUS AND BASIL

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to directions. Drain.
• Saute asparagus tips in garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper until tender. Add to the pasta along with the basil and sun-dried tomatoes. Toss to mix. Adjust seasonings as necessary. Refrigerate 1 hour or longer before serving.

FABULOUS PESTO PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, salt, pepper, onion powder, mustard, garlic, basil, oregano, cilantro, hot pepper sauce, red wine vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, and Parmesan cheese. Add the tomatoes, green onions and olives to the bowl, and stir to coat. Refrigerate.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta, and cook for 7 minutes, or until tender. Drain, and rinse with cold water to cool. Add pasta to the bowl of dressing, and mix well. Top with mozzarella cheese and pine nuts. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

ROASTED TOMATO PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Core tomatoes and cut in half lengthwise. Place cut side up on a broiler pan; brush with oil. Combine 1/4 teaspoon of salt, basil, thyme and pepper; sprinkle over tomatoes. Turn tomatoes cut side down. Bake at 425° for 30-35 minutes or until edges are well browned. Cool slightly., Peel off skins and discard. Chop tomatoes; combine the green pepper, cheese, onion, dressing and remaining salt. Place pasta in a serving bowl; add tomato mixture and toss to coat.

SPRING PASTA SALAD WITH ASPARAGUS, TOMATO AND MOZZARELLA

Steps:

• Put up a large pot of salted water for cooking the pasta and bring it to a boil.
• Add the asparagus and blanch it until just tender, about 3 minutes.
• Scoop the asparagus from the water with a large strainer spoon and place in a colander. Run cold water over it to stop the cooking process, and to preserve the bright green color. Drain well and slice into small pieces on the diagonal, leaving the tips whole.
• Bring the water back to a rapid boil and cook the penne until just al dente (tender but slightly firm to the bite). Run the pasta under cold water and drain very well.
• In a large serving bowl, add the pasta, the blanched asparagus and all the remaining ingredients. Season with salt and pepper and toss well until all the pasta is well coated with dressing. Taste for seasoning. This is best served at room temperature.
• Note: Another lovely addition to this pasta is about 3/4 cup freshly shelled spring peas. Blanch them for 1 minute in the boiling pasta water after you blanch the asparagus. Drain well and add them to the bowl along with the other ingredients.

PASTA WITH ASPARAGUS PESTO

Steps:

• In a 6- to 7-quart kettle bring about 5 quarts salted water to a boil for pasta.
• Have ready a bowl of ice water. Trim woody ends from asparagus. Cut asparagus stalks crosswise into 2-inch pieces, reserving tips. In a steamer set over boiling water steam stalks, covered, 4 minutes. Add reserved asparagus tips and steam, covered, until just tender, about 1 minute. Immediately transfer asparagus to ice water to stop cooking. Drain asparagus well in a colander and pat dry.
• In a food processor pulse pine nuts and garlic with salt until finely chopped. Add asparagus and oil and pulse until asparagus is coarsely chopped. Transfer pesto to a large bowl and stir in Parmigiano-Reggiano. Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente. Reserve 1/3 cup pasta cooking water and drain pasta in a colander. Add pasta and reserved cooking water to pesto, tossing to coat, and season with salt and pepper.

PASTA, ASPARAGUS & MARINATED TOMATO SALAD

Steps:

• Cook the pasta in a pan of boiling salted water according to packet instructions. Rinse under cold water, then drain well.
• Meanwhile, combine the tomatoes, spring onion, oil vinegar and mustard in a large bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper. Leave to stand while the pasta cooks.
• Cut the tips from the asparagus. Halve the stems lengthways, then cut into 3cm lengths. Place the tips and stems in a heatproof bowl and pour over enough boiling water to cover. Stand for 1 minute, then rinse under cold water and drain.
• Add the asparagus and drained pasta to the tomato mixture, season to taste with salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Divide among serving bowls and serve.

ASPARAGUS-TOMATO SALAD WITH DRESSING

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients; set aside. Place asparagus in a large saucepan with enough water to cover; cook until crisp-tender. Drain and cool. , Combine asparagus, tomatoes and onion in a bowl. Pour dressing over salad; toss to coat. Serve immediately or refrigerate.

PESTO PASTA SALAD WITH ROASTED TOMATOES AND ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Serves 10-12 as a side 1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with tinfoil. 2. In a large bowl, toss the grape tomatoes (whole) with brown sugar, a dash of salt, black pepper and 1 Tablespoon olive oil, coating well. Roast at 375 for 20 minutes or until very soft and the tomatoes start to deflate. Set aside. 3. Line another baking sheet with tinfoil. Preheat the broiler. Trim the asparagus ends and toss with 1 Tablespoon olive oil, a dash of salt and pepper. Broil for 5-10 minutes, shaking the baking sheet every 2 minutes or so. NOTE: My broiler can be set to medium, but it's important to keep checking the asparagus so they don't burn. You want the asparagus to have a bit of a char at the tips and the stems to soften and start turning a little golden. Set aside. 4. Cook the pasta in unsalted water according to package directions. Reserve 2 Tablespoons of pasta water and strain the rest in a colander. Return the cooked pasta to the pot and stir in the pesto, adding some of the pasta water if it needs to be thinned a bit. Gently toss in the roasted tomatoes and asparagus, adjust seasonings. Serve hot or chill and serve cold.