Lemon Asparagus Pasta Salad
Bright citrus and crisp veggies give this pasta salad a fresh spring flavor.
Servings: 6 people
Ingredients
- ½ lb pasta, dry (bow ties or other short pasta)
- ½ lb asparagus
- 1 (12 oz) jar Artichoke hearts, drained
- 1 c peas, thawed if frozen
- 1 large lemon, juiced and zested (roughly ⅓ c juice)
- ¼ c olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ⅛ tsp red pepper flakes
- ¼ c fresh grated Parmesan cheese (more if desired)
Instructions
- In a medium soup pan, heat 1 quart of water to boiling. Add a dash of salt and uncooked pasta. Cook for 10-15 minutes, until aldente. Drain pasta, rinse with cool water to stop it from cooking, drain again, and set aside.
- In a large sauce pan, heat 1 quart of water to boiling. Trim the woody ends from the asparagus spears (discard the ends). Add the tender asparagus shoots to the boiling water. Blanch the asparagus for 1-2 minutes, until bright green and crisp-tender.
- Remove the blanched asparagus from the water and chop it into pieces about the length of your pasta. Add the chopped asparagus to the cooked pasta along with the artichokes and peas.
- In a small bowl or 1 cup liquid measure (for easy pouring), whisk together lemon juice and zest, olive oil, minced garlic, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Pour the dressing over the pasta and veggies.
- Add the Parmesan cheese to the pasta and toss to coat everything with the cheese and dressing.
- Eat salad room temperature or chill for 30 min to 1 hour to enjoy cold.
Notes
This recipe from 2013 was updated in July 2018. We filled this pasta dish with even more spring flavors!