My youngest son loves asparagus. It is one of the few green vegetables that he likes, so I am always experimenting with new ways to serve it. I decided to try it in a pasta salad, but I usually only put raw vegetables in my pasta salads and I knew that wouldn’t fly. Instead of sautéing the asparagus as he prefers, I steamed it – the perfect compromise!
I used a large pasta pot that has a steamer basket to steam the asparagus while cooking the pasta. This saved me time and meant I had one less pan to wash at the end of the day. You can see how easy this salad is to make in the video:
The dressing on this salad is not a traditional dressing that you would use on a garden salad. It has a zesty lemon flavor that is intended to subtly enhance the flavors of the vegetables in the salad without overpowering them. These are the long-handled measuring spoons I use to measure honey and spices from the bottom of deep jars.
Asparagus and Pasta Salad Recipe
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients:
- 16 oz. pasta (Use gluten-free rotini to make this gluten-free)
- 2 lbs. asparagus, cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 – 16 oz. can olives, drained
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 1 sweet pepper, diced
Dressing Ingredients:
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
- 2 – 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon basil
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- ¼ teaspoon rosemary
- pinch of salt
- dash pepper
Directions:
- Cook pasta according to package directions.
- Steam asparagus for 6 – 8 minutes or until asparagus is tender. ( I use a pasta pot with a steamer basket).
- While the pasta and asparagus are cooking, mix the dressing ingredients together in a large bowl.
- When the pasta is al dente, drain the water and rinse the pasta under cold water until the pasta is cool. When the asparagus is fork tender, remove it and let it sit to cool.
- Add the olives, tomatoes, and peppers to the bowl. Then add the asparagus and pasta. Toss to thoroughly coat the pasta and vegetables with the dressing.
- Chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Toss again before serving.
Printable Recipe for Asparagus and Pasta Salad
Asparagus and Pasta Salad
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients:
- 16 oz. pasta Use gluten-free rotini to make this gluten-free
- 2 lbs. asparagus cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 - 16 oz. can olives drained
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 1 sweet pepper diced
Dressing Ingredients:
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
- 2 - 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon basil
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- ¼ teaspoon rosemary
- pinch of salt
- dash pepper
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions.
- Steam asparagus for 6 - 8 minutes or until asparagus is tender.*
- While the pasta and asparagus are cooking, mix the dressing ingredients together in a large bowl.
- When the pasta is al dente, drain the water and rinse the pasta under cold water until the pasta is cool. When the asparagus is fork tender, remove it and let it sit to cool.
- Add the olives, tomatoes, and peppers to the bowl. Then add the asparagus and pasta. Toss to thoroughly coat the pasta and vegetables with the dressing.
- Chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Toss again before serving.
Nutrition
My daughter arrived home after a long day of school and work and was so hungry she dove into the salad while it was still warm. She was quite effusive in her praise, but starving college students are lavish in their praise of any home-cooked meal. I preferred the salad after it had chilled in the refrigerator and the flavors have had time to mingle.
More Pasta Salad Recipes
Italian Pasta Salad with Grilled Pork
Meatless Ranch Pasta Salad Recipe
Southwest Ranch Tortellini Salad
Lynn White says
Thanks for sharing at the #HomeMattersParty! I’m always looking for quick and easy recipes.