Spring Pasta Salad

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Spring Pasta Salad

This is probably going to be the shortest post on record. During our staff meeting on Tuesday, the marketing team asked what I was cooking and I said, “Nothing today.” Then, Kathleen, who collaborates with me on everything we post said, “We planned to have you cook today and post on Thursday!” Oops.

Luckily, we had already decided on a recipe, but I had not shopped and there were just a few of the ingredients in the kitchen that were needed to make it. A quick trip to the store at the end of the day for some pasta, fresh produce and Romano cheese and I was ready to cook the next morning.

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I used Italian Trio pasta which is a combination of rotini, penne and shells. The lemony dressing is tangy and coats the vegetables nicely so you get a taste of it in every bite. The garnish of the shaved Romano adds a salty, nutty flavor which I really enjoyed.

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The recipe calls for blanching the asparagus which is easy to do and really brings out its bright color.

You could make this a heartier salad by adding some cubed ham or shredded chicken. I think if you do add more ingredients, you may want to consider making extra dressing so the salad doesn't get too dry.

Spring Pasta Salad

6-8 Servings
Print Recipe

Ingredients

Dressing

  • 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1 clove garlic, grated
  • 1 lemon, zested and juiced
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Pasta

  • 12 ounces Italian Trio pasta, cooked per instructions and shocked under cold water
  • 4 ounces asparagus spears, blanched and thinly sliced on the bias
  • 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
  • 1 12 ounce jar roasted red and yellow peppers, chopped
  • 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
  • 3 green onions, sliced thin
  • 1/2 cup fresh dill, chopped
  • Shaved Pecorino Romano cheese for garnish (use the 1501 Vegetable Peeler for shaving)

Directions

  1. Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, toss the pasta with the asparagus, peas, peppers, tomatoes, onions and dill. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Let the salad stand for a bit to combine all the flavors.
  3. To serve, plate and shave some Romano cheese over each serving.

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