Veggie Pasta Salad recipe: Allison's Cooking Diary
HOUSTON - On this week's episode of Allison's Cooking Diary, we are making Vegetable Pasta Salad. This dish is so fresh with bright flavors and tender veggies. It will be a perfect side dish or main dish for meatless Mondays. Enjoy!
Ingredients
Dressing
- Zest of 1 lemon
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- ½ shallot, chopped
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- ½ cup olive oil
Pasta Salad
- ½ lb asparagus, chopped into 2 inch pieces
- 1 cup frozen green peas
- 1 lb small pasta
- 1 can chickpeas, drained & rinsed
- 3 green onions, finely sliced
- 1 carton of Cherry Tomatoes
- ½ cup parsley leaves, chopped
- Crumbled feta or goat cheese on top
Method
- Make the dressing. In a blender cup, combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, shallot, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, and oil. Blend until combined. Set aside.
- Place a large bowl of ice water on the counter.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the asparagus to the boiling water and boil for 2 minutes, or until it starts to turn bright green. Add the peas to the water and stir for a few seconds. Using a mesh spoon, add all of the asparagus and peas to the ice water. Let the vegetables sit and chill down.
- Bring the salted water back up to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions. Once al dente, drain the pasta and add it to a large bowl.
- Quickly toss the pasta with two thirds of the dressing until everything is coated.
- Drain the asparagus and peas thoroughly and add them to the bowl with the pasta, along with the chickpeas, green onion, parsley, halved cherry tomatoes, goat cheese and the remaining dressing, some salt, and pepper. Toss to combine.
- Enjoy warm or cold!