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Spring Pasta Salad

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 8

Ingredients
  

  • Salad:
  • 1 lb pasta fusilli, farfalle, or penne
  • 1 lb asparagus trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • cups fresh or frozen peas
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes halved
  • 1 cup radishes thinly sliced
  • ½ red onion finely diced
  • ½ cup fresh basil chopped
  • ¼ cup fresh mint chopped
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped
  • ½ cup feta cheese crumbled (optional)
  • ¼ cup pine nuts toasted (optional)
  • Lemon-Herb Vinaigrette:
  • cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp white or red wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • ½ tsp lemon zest

Instructions
 

  • Boil salted water, cook pasta to al dente per package directions
  • Drain, rinse under cold water, drain well, transfer to large bowl
  • Bring medium pot of salted water to boil
  • Add asparagus, cook 2-3 minutes until bright green and tender-crisp
  • Drain, plunge into ice water
  • Blanch peas in same pot 1-2 minutes until bright green
  • Add to ice water with asparagus, drain both well
  • Halve tomatoes, slice radishes, dice onion
  • Chop basil, mint, parsley
  • Make dressing: whisk olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, Dijon, garlic, honey, oregano, salt, pepper, lemon zest
  • Or combine in jar and shake
  • Taste and adjust seasoning
  • Add asparagus, peas, tomatoes, radishes, onion to pasta
  • Add fresh herbs
  • Pour dressing over, toss thoroughly to coat
  • Cover, refrigerate 30 minutes to 4 hours
  • Before serving, toss again, add feta and pine nuts if using
  • Taste and adjust seasoning
  • Serve chilled or at room temperature

Notes

  • Cook pasta to al dente—don't overcook
  • Rinse pasta with cold water to stop cooking
  • Blanch vegetables—preserves color and texture
  • Dry vegetables well—prevents watery salad
  • Fresh herbs essential—can't use dried
  • Tastes better after chilling 4-24 hours
  • Store 3 days refrigerated
  • May need extra dressing after storage
  • Not freezer-friendly
  • Frozen peas work perfectly
  • Add grilled chicken or shrimp for protein
  • Let sit at room temp 15 min before serving
Calories: 320 per serving (with feta and pine nuts)