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Spoonful of Spring Pasta Salad.

Spring Pasta Salad

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  • Author: Nicole | Fresh Apron
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Category: Salads
  • Method: Boil
  • Cuisine: American

Description

This Spring Pasta Salad just feels like sunshine. It’s bright, fresh, and comes together in no time—perfect for an easy lunch or side dish!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 8 ounces penne pasta

  • ¾ cup green peas, fresh or frozen

  • ½ pound asparagus, woody ends trimmed, cut into (2-inch) pieces

  • 1 cup baby spinach, roughly chopped

  • ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese

  • 2 tablespoons fresh basil, thinly sliced (optional)

  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest

  • 1 clove garlic, minced

  • 1 teaspoon honey

  • ¼ teaspoon dijon mustard

  • Sea salt, to taste


Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions until al dente.

  2. In the last 2 minutes of cooking, add the peas and asparagus to the pot with the pasta. Let them cook until bright green and crisp-tender. Drain everything in a colander and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking, about 2 minutes.

  3. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, honey, dijon mustard, and a pinch of sea salt.

  4. In a large bowl, toss the drained pasta and veggies with the chopped spinach, feta, basil (if using), and dressing. Taste and add more salt as needed. Serve chilled or at room temperature.



Notes

Though this salad is best served immediately, you can make it ahead of time. I recommend saving half of the dressing and stirring it in right before serving for best results. 

Nutritional Values (per serving) are approximates only.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 serving
  • Calories: 397
  • Sugar: 5.9 g
  • Sodium: 236.7 mg
  • Fat: 17.1 g
  • Saturated Fat: 3.6 g
  • Carbohydrates: 51 g
  • Fiber: 4.4 g
  • Protein: 11.6 g
  • Cholesterol: 8.3 mg