Spring Pasta Salad with Peas and Asparagus

Spring Pasta Salad with Peas and Asparagus is the perfect salad to kick off spring. Loaded with lots of tender pasta, sweet peas and asparagus, juicy tomatoes, and a delicious lemony dressing.

What You’ll love about Spring Pasta Salad with Peas and Asparagus:

Can you believe spring is just around the corner? It feels like yesterday we were coming out of the holidays with months of dark winter days ahead. The forecast for the next week calls for sunshine and high 60’s, and you better believe I’m planning as many sunshiny things to do as possible.

With brighter days ahead this means I get to start incorporating some spring filled recipes and it starts with this Spring Pasta Salad with Peas and Asparagus. Talk about a pasta salad that feels like a bowl of pure sunshine. It’s fresh with colorful veggies and the flavors from the creamy and dreamy lemony dressing, make this the perfect dish to represent this season.

Ingredients:

• Spiral pasta
• Asparagus
• Cherry tomatoes
• Frozen peas
• Mayo
• Dijon mustard
• Zest of lemon
• Lemon juice
• Italian dressing
• Salt and pepper
• Fresh parsley
• Fresh chives

Pasta and Veggie Substitutes:

Use other pasta shapes like mini bowtie, penne, and macaroni. You could also swap out the asparagus for fresh broccoli or green beans. This pasta salad would be delicious with crumbled feta cheese for a nice salty bite or even throw in black or Kalamata olives.

How To Make Spring Pasta Salad with Peas and Asparagus:

Step 1. In a large pot cook pasta according to the package directions for Al dente. When pasta has about 4-minutes of cooking time left add asparagus pieces. The last 1-minute of cooking time add peas to heat them through. Drain pasta and veggies in a colander and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.

Step 2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl add mayo, Dijon mustard, lemon zest, lemon juice, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Use a whisk to combine until smooth. Taste to make sure your seasonings are just right.

Step 3. In a large serving bowl add cooled pasta and veggies, cherry tomatoes, fresh parsley, and fresh chives. Pour dressing over the top and fold gently to combine. Serve immediately or place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Recipe Tips:

• Don’t overcook pasta– Be careful not to overcook the pasta so it keeps its shape and doesn’t break apart when you combine it with the rest of the ingredients.
• Blanch veggies for the best texture- You can certainly add raw veggies to this pasta salad recipe but blanching them is even better. It takes no extra time since you’ll be adding them to the pasta water while the pasta cooks.
• Storing pasta salad– Store spring pasta salad in the refrigerator in an airtight container up to 5 days. 
• Make it a meal– Add grilled chicken or shrimp to turn this side pasta salad into a meal.

Other Salads You Might Enjoy:

• Pasta Salad with Homemade Italian Dressing
• Macaroni Salad with Greek Yogurt Dressing
• Southwest Pasta Salad with Avocado Ranch Dressing
• Bruschetta Pasta Salad with Sweet Balsamic Dressing

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I appreciate your comments and reviews! Be sure to leave a comment or rating below for suggestions, questions, or if you make the recipe. I’d love to know how it turned out for you!

Let’s eat!

Spring Pasta Salad with Peas and Asparagus

Spring Pasta Salad with Peas and Asparagus is the perfect salad to kick off spring. Loaded with lots of tender pasta, sweet peas and asparagus, juicy tomatoes, and a delicious lemony dressing.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 8 minutes mins

Total Time 23 minutes mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 5 servings

Calories 250 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 2 cups spiral pasta, like fusilli
• 1 lb fresh asparagus trimmed and cut in thirds, about 1-inch pieces
• 1 1/2 cups frozen sweet peas
• 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 1/4 cup chopped chives

For the dressing:

• 1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp mayo
• 1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 small lemon, zested
• 1 1/2 small lemons, juiced
• 2-3 tbsp bottled Italian dressing
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• kosher salt to taste

Instructions

 

• In a large pot filled with water, cook pasta according to the package directions for Al dente. Typically 7-8 minutes for spiral pasta. When the pasta has 4 minutes left add asparagus pieces. The last 1-minute of the pasta cooking time add peas. Drain pasta and veggies in a colander and rinse well with cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl add mayo, Dijon mustard, lemon zest, lemon juice, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Use a whisk to combine until smooth. Taste to make sure your seasonings are just right.
• In a large serving bowl add cooled pasta and veggies, cherry tomatoes, fresh parsley, and fresh chives. Pour all of the dressing over the top and fold gently to combine. Serve immediately or place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Notes

Tips:

• Don’t overcook pasta– Be careful not to overcook the pasta so it keeps its shape and doesn’t break apart when combined it with the rest of the ingredients.
• Blanch veggies for the best texture- You can certainly add raw veggies to this pasta salad recipe but blanching them is even better. It takes no extra time since you’ll be adding them to the pasta water while the pasta cooks.
• Storing pasta salad– Store spring pasta salad in the refrigerator in an airtight container up to 5 days. 
• Make it a meal– Add grilled chicken or shrimp to turn this side pasta salad into a meal.

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be understood as an estimate rather than a guarantee. The Menu Maid makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 5
Amount per serving
Calories	250
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 6.2g	8%
Saturated Fat 0.7g	4%
Cholesterol 2mg	1%
Sodium 328mg	14%
Total Carbohydrate 41.4g	15%
Dietary Fiber 3.8g	14%
Total Sugars 6.9g
Protein 8.1g
Vitamin D 0mcg	0%
Calcium 39mg	3%
Iron 2mg	9%
Potassium 215mg	5%

Keyword Asparagus, Black eyed peas, Lemons, Pasta salad, Recipes for spring, Spring pasta salad

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