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.
Erlene says
Yummy! This sounds like a wonderful pasta salad for the hot summer months. Thanks for sharing this on Merry Monday. Pinned.
Gentle Joy Homemaker says
Mmmm… this looks good… and healthy too. My family would love the olives in it. 🙂
Amy says
Alea, this salad just jumped right off of the page when I saw it. I love asparagus and I love pasta salad. I also like that you made your own dressing. Thank you for sharing at Tasty Tuesdays link party. Pinned and shared. I can’t wait to make this salad.
Amanda says
Wow $0.99 a pound already? I guess we are still a little west of you and haven’t gotten quite that sale price yet. I love asparagus and will make sure to have this recipe on hand the next time it goes on sale. I am really intrigued to try the dressing. Thanks so much for sharing once again at Delicious Dish Tuesday!
Full Time Mama says
We love asparagus, but I’ve never had it in a pasta salad before! Sounds like a delicious way to mix it up a bit!
Thanks so much for sharing with Delicious Dish Tuesday!
Brandy @ The Prudent Homemaker says
This sounds delicious!
I’m not high desert–just regular desert. I know high desert has serious gardening challenges. Here we grow asparagus. It’s certainly warm, though–our fig tree is leafing out!
Miz Helen says
Thank you so much for sharing your great recipe with Full Plate Thursday. Hope you are having a great Spring week end and come back to see me real soon!
Miz Helen
Kristi says
Oh, yum! I think I’ll try this today!!
Kelly says
Mmmm, looks yummy. My husband brought home a pound of asparagus the other day, so I guess I know what to do with it now!
Beth @ Aunt B's Kitchen says
I find myself looking for signs of spring too. 🙂 This salad looks marvellous.
Mary says
This is a lovely salad and the dressing is just perfect for it. This is my first visit to your blog,so I took some time to browse through your earlier posts. I’m so glad I did that. I really like the food and recipes you share with your readers and I’ll definitely be back. I hope you have a great day. Blessings…Mary
Jenn says
I love asparagus and I’m always looking for ways to cook it! Thank you for sharing!