Spring Asparagus Pasta Salad Recipes

SPRING PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• For the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, Dijon mustard, honey, garlic, lemon zest and juice, and season with salt and pepper.
• For the pasta: Toss the pasta with the asparagus, peas, roasted peppers, tomatoes, shallots and dill. Pour the dressing over the salad, tossing to coat. Let the salad hang out for a bit to soak up all of the flavor.
• When ready to serve, bowl it up and shave some ricotta salata over the top to seal the deal.

ASPARAGUS PASTA SALAD WITH ITALIAN DRESSING

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients until combined. Set the dressing aside.
• Remove the tough stems of the asparagus then cut each spear into 1-inch pieces.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, 10 to 11 minutes, then add the asparagus to the pot and cook it with pasta for 1 more minute. Drain the pasta and asparagus then rinse it with cold water.
• Transfer the pasta and asparagus to a large bowl. Stir in the onions and tomatoes. Pour the dressing over the pasta, tossing to combine, then cover the salad with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 3 hours and up to overnight. When ready to serve, stir in the Parmesan cheese and enjoy cold or at room temperature.
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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.