Healthy Springtime Dish - Asparagus Salad Recipe

My husband, Ken, loves asparagus. And he loves tomatoes. And he loves pesto.

So when I found a recipe that combined all three, how could I not make it???

I found the original recipe at Fat Free Vegan Kitchen, and if you are avoiding gluten and wish to make your own pesto sauce, then this is the recipe for you!

I went for ease and I'm okay with gluten, so my recipe below uses pesto in a jar, regular pasta, and grape tomatoes.

Asparagus Pesto Pasta Salad

Ingredients

• 1 pound asparagus
• 1 pound spiral pasta
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 oz. jar of your favorite pesto sauce, room temperature
• 2 cups halved grape tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Snap off the tough ends of the asparagus. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and add the asparagus spears. Cook on medium heat until tender, about 8 minutes. Remove the asparagus spears from the water and place in colander, reserving water in pot. Rinse asparagus with cold water.
2. Bring the water back to a boil. Sprinkle with salt, if desired, and add pasta. Cook until the pasta is al dente. Drain and rinse the pasta with cool water. Put into a large serving bowl. 
3. Cut asparagus tips 2 inches from the top. Cut remaining spears into 1 inch pieces. Add to the pasta.
4. Toss the pasta, asparagus, and tomatoes with the pesto, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with lemon juice and pine nuts. Serve at room temperature or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Photo courtesy of fatfreevegan.com

One of our favorite dishes any time of year is shrimp with angel hair and pesto. For a change, serve this asparagus salad with grilled shrimp and it's a great springtime treat!

Have a happy day!