By Nicole Dragon

lemon asparagus pasta salad

This pasta salad caught me by surprise. It is light and bright (because there's no mayo anywhere in sight as mayo does not belong anywhere near pasta salad - my personal opinion, take it or leave it) and stunning with vibrant greens, pops of deep red, and golden bursts of lemon zest. We had family coming over for lunch and they were classically running late so my mom and I started in on the pasta salad. We had to downsize the serving bowl 3x because we couldn't stop eating it. Moral of the story, don't be late or you'll miss the pasta salad.

lemon asparagus pasta salad

Servings

6

Author

Nicole Dragon

INGREDIENTS

1 box pasta (I use gluten free jovial fusilli)
1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped
Fresh basil
Fresh chives, roughly chopped

For the lemon vinaigrette

1 lemon, zest & juice
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 shallot, finely chopped
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
Fresh black pepper

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INSTRUCTIONS

Cook pasta in salted water until al dente. When the pasta is almost finished cooking drop the asparagus into the boiling water, about 2 minutes. Remove asparagus before draining the pasta and drop them into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Once cooled, transfer asparagus to a towel to dry and slice at an angle into 1 inch pieces.
Add chopped shallot, lemon juice, zest, dijon mustard, salt and pepper to a bowl. Mix together and stream in olive oil mixing with a fork or whisk to emulsify (fancy word for combine).
Pour the dressing over the warm pasta and toss to combine. Add chopped sundried tomatoes and sliced asparagus. Tear the fresh basil over the top and add in chopped chives.
Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

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lemon asparagus pasta salad

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Cooked Up Confessions & All The Kitchen Tea

hi there.

Welcome to The Food Dragon – that’s me- I’m Nicole Dragon and yes, my last name is really Dragon. My love for cooking started when I was just a toddler. I was obsessed with The Food Network and was watching cooking shows more than cartoons.

I love creating recipes with real whole ingredients that make you feel good and never lack flavor. Here you’ll find all my favorite recipes, kitchen hacks, and more. Follow along & let’s get cooking!