This fresh springtime asparagus pasta salad features asparagus, tomatoes, parmesan cheese, and pine nuts complemented by a zesty homemade dressing!
Asparagus pasta salad is the perfect springtime salad! It’s made with fresh ingredients like crisp green asparagus, cherry tomatoes, scallion, and fresh basil leaves. To make it taste even better, toasted pine nuts and shaved Parmesan cheese are added.
A wonderful vegetarian asparagus pasta salad you can quickly throw together when guests come over, for a family dinner, potlucks, or as a side dish for your next barbecue.
The oil and vinegar dressing is mild and lighter than mayo-based dressings, making the salad taste fresher.
Hint: Add a handful of sliced strawberries to the salad if you love strawberries. These harmonize particularly well with green asparagus and basil.
Ingredients
See recipe card for quantities.
- Pasta → Of your choice! I like to use rigatoni, fusilli, penne, or farfalle. Feel free to use gluten-free pasta. Hint: Set aside some pasta cooking water to stretch the dressing. This will make the salad a little juicier without using more oil.
- Green Asparagus → A crunchy and vitamin-rich addition.
- Cherry Tomatoes → Add freshness and some juiciness. Can also be substituted with chopped tomatoes of your choice.
- Scallion → You can also use a shallot or finely sliced red onions.
- Parmesan Cheese → Some shaved or chopped Parmesan cheese gives the whole salad more flavor. Also tastes delicious with mozzarella.
- Pine Nuts → Provide a great crunch and nutty flavor. Be sure to toast them first!
- Fresh Basil → Goes well with asparagus and is almost a must for any pasta salad!
- Dressing → A simple dressing made with just a few ingredients: Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar (red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or lemon juice works too), Maple Syrup (or honey), and mustard (I recommend dijon mustard). Salt & black pepper to taste. If you like, you can add some grated garlic.
Visual Step-by-Step Instructions
- Cook pasta according to the packet instructions in a pot of boiling salt water until al dente. Drain over a sieve and set 2 tablespoon of pasta water aside.
- Wash asparagus, break off the tough woody ends & discard, and cut the asparagus spears into bite-sized pieces. Heat
- Heat a skillet with ½ tablespoon olive oil. Add asparagus and roast for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Toast pine nuts in a skillet without oil until golden brown.
- Mix all ingredients for the dressing in a small bowl.
- In a large bowl, combine pasta, asparagus, cherry tomatoes, parmesan cheese, scallion, pine nuts, and basil. Drizzle with the dressing and toss until well combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper!
- Hint: Mix the set aside pasta cooking water into the salad, this way you can stretch the dressing a bit without using more oil.
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Variations
Want to customize this asparagus pasta salad recipe? Then you’ll find plenty of ways to do so:
- Extra Flavor – drizzle the salad with balsamic crema!
- Berry – mix sliced strawberries into the salad!
- Deluxe – add sun-dried tomatoes!
- Cheese – top the salad with crumbled feta cheese or mozzarella cheese instead of parmesan cheese. Vegans omit the cheese or use a vegan cheese alternative.
- Extra Crunch – mix a handful of fresh arugula or baby spinach into the pasta asparagus salad.
- Zesty – add lemon zest to the dressing!
Storage Instructions
This salad can be made up to a day in advance and stored in the fridge until needed. Doing this will set the flavors together a little longer. Hint: I like to take it out of the fridge about 30 minutes before serving! Also, it helps if you stretch the pasta salad dressing with some set-aside pasta cooking water. This prevents the salad from getting too dry, without adding unnecessarily much olive oil and vinegar. 😉
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. It will stay fresh for up to 2 days.
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📖 Recipe
Asparagus Pasta Salad
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Plus, enjoy weekly doses of recipe inspiration as a bonus!
Ingredients
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 9 oz asparagus
- 7 oz pasta, of choice
- 1 ¾ cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- ⅓ cup shaved parmesan cheese, or mozzarella cheese balls
- 1 scallion, sliced
- 2 tablespoon pine nuts, toasted in a
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil, minced
Dressing
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, or vinegar of choice
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup, or sugar, honey
- 1 teaspoon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to the packet instructions in boiling salt water until al dente. Drain over a sieve and set 2 tablespoon of pasta water aside.
- Wash asparagus, break off the tough woody ends & discard, and cut asparagus into bite-sized pieces. Heat
- Heat a skillet with ½ tablespoon olive oil. Add asparagus and roast for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Toast pine nuts in a skillet without oil until golden brown.
- Mix all ingredients for the dressing in a small bowl.
- In a large bowl, combine pasta, asparagus, cherry tomatoes, parmesan cheese, scallion, pine nuts, and basil. Drizzle with the dressing and toss until well combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper! Hint: Mix the set aside pasta cooking water into the salad, this way you can stretch the dressing a bit without using more oil.
Notes
- Make-Ahead: This salad can be made up to one day in advance. Store it in the refrigerator until 30 minutes before serving.
- Keeps fresh for 3 days. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Cheese: Substitute parmesan cheese with mozzarella or feta cheese.
- Vegan: Omit cheese!
- Love strawberries? Add a handful of sliced strawberries to the salad.
Nutrition
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