Asparagus Pasta Salad

Asparagus pasta salad is a fresh and flavorful dish, with asparagus, green peas and snap peas providing a crisp texture that complements the pasta perfectly. Blanching these vegetables helps preserve their vibrant color and natural sweetness, keeping them tender yet crunchy.

Key Ingredients in This Recipe

You’ll find the complete list of ingredients and exact quantities in the recipe below.

• Salad ingredients
  • Asparagus
  • Snap peas – sugar peas will also work, but they ‘snap’ less.
  • Green peas
  • Cucumber – whatever one you like, Persian or English.
  • Radishes
  • Orzo pasta – or other small pasta.
  • Feta cheese – Goat cheese will work as well.
  • Dill
  • Mint
• Dressing ingredients
  • Olive oil
  • White wine vinegar
  • Maple syrup
  • Dijon mustard
  • Salt & pepper

Why These Ingredients Work Well Together

• While asparagus add a fresh, slightly earthy flavor, the green peas and snaps add extra sweetness. The vegetables are blanched, shocked and dried, preserving color and crunch. The crispness of the vegetables complements the softness of the pasta, providing a satisfying balance of textures.
• The radishes and cucumber bring even more freshness, due to high water content of both and it adds another dimension to the overall texture of the salad. The red skin of the radishes stands out in the salad. Radishes’ peppery flavor, spicy flavor contrasts with the flavor of the green vegetables and keeps a nice balance with the salty feta.
• This salad is highly customizable.
  • Any type of short pasta will do. Farfalle or bow-tie pasta, fusilli, orzo, penne, gemelli.
  • E.g. add hard-boiled eggs for extra protein (also a classic Easter addition).
  • Exchange feta for goat cheese, Parmigiano Reggiano or your favorite one.
  • Add olives, sun-dried tomatoes, bell peppers, tomatoes.
• Left-overs can be kept easily and thus the salad is a great meal-prep options if you’re into meal prepping. (Please keep dressing and herbs separate from salad).

How to Make Asparagus Pasta Salad

• Step 1 – Prepare the ingredients.
  • Cut the wooden part off the asparagus and cut the remainder in half.
  • Cut the cucumber into cubes.
  • Cut the radishes into slices and slices in sticks.
  • Finely chop the herbs.
• Step 2 – Bring a pot of water and salt to boil.
  • Add the asparagus and cook for about 1 minute. Remove the asparagus from the boiling water with a slotted spoon and plunge them into the ice bath.
  • Bring the same water back to a boil and add the green peas and snap peas. Cook both peas for 1-2 minutes, remove them and add them to the ice bath as well.
  • Drain the veggies from the ice bath and pat them dry gently with a towel. Make sure not to forget this step, the dressing will not cling to wet vegetables.
  • Bring the same water back to a boil again and add the orzo. Cook the pasta according to the directions on the packaging. Drain and cool.

• Step 3 – Make the dressing by adding to a small jar, the olive oil, white wine vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard and salt & pepper. Whisk or shake until well combined.
• Step 4 – To a large bowl, add asparagus, green peas, snap peas, radishes, cucumber, herbs, and orzo.
  • Add dressing and mix well.
  • Crumble feta over salad and mix again.

• Step 5 – Serve salad in individual bowls or in one larger bowl for two.

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