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    Home » Dressings, Sauces, & Marinades » Pasta Salad with Asparagus

    Published: Mar 30, 2021 · Modified: Jan 17, 2023 by Pam

    Pasta Salad with Asparagus

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    Pasta Salad with Asparagus is a snap to make with fancied up bottled dressing. It’s made healthier than most with the added veggies.

    pasta salad with asparagus

    We love pasta salad and find it to be the perfect warm weather side dish, but it is starchy and not particularly good for you. Including asparagus and grape tomatoes not only gives it beautiful color and flavors, but really kicks the nutrition up a notch.

    This salad is super quick and easy

    The great thing about adding asparagus is that they can go right in the pot with the pasta. Just wait until you’ve got about two minutes left and drop in the asparagus. Then drain it all together too.

    You’ll want to be sure you’ve washed and cut your asparagus first, so it’s ready to go in at the right time.

    woman in apron cutting asparagus

    We like to cut it into about one inch pieces – that’s the perfect size for a single bite.

    Bottled salad dressing made better

    For most of our salads we make our own dressing. This Salad with Oranges actually has a marinade for the asparagus that doubles as dressing. The dressing we use for our Southwestern Salad is full of bold, Tex-mex flavors.

    And this one is a Fall Green Salad with Apples and the dressing is made from apple cider vinegar.

    But, sometimes you just need to get a dish ready quickly and this pasta salad with asparagus is perfect for that occasion. We do recommend using a good quality store bought dressing. Did you know that the best ones are found in the produce section of your store?

    bottle of salad dressing with herbs and lemon on board

    One of our favorites is Marie’s, and it’s pretty readily available. We just add a few simple ingredients and give it a good shake. It’s almost as good as homemade.

    Olives are an optional addition

    We love olives, especially kalamatas, like we’ve used here. With feta cheese in our pasta salad the olives will give it a decidedly Mediterranean twist (similar to our Mediterranean Cucumber Salad). But, we do know that a lot of people don’t love them.

    So, leave them out if you like. Better yet, if your people are divided just put a few kalamata olives in a bowl on the side and let everyone choose.

    bowl of pasta salad with dressing behind

    This recipe made the suggested list for the Backyard BBQ Menu Ideas. You’ll want to visit for lots of other recipes as well as tips, tricks and planning help for your cookout.

    Pasta Salad with Asparagus can be a meal

    What a delightful light supper or summer/springtime lunch that would be! The best kind of protein to add? Pick your favorite:

    • Boiled or grilled shrimp
    • Marinated Chicken
    • Salami cut into strips
    • Ham cut into cubes or strips
    pasta salad with asparagus

    Pasta Salad with Asparagus

    Pasta Salad with Asparagus is a snap to make with fancied up bottled dressing. It's made healthier than most with the added veggies.
    4.8 from 5 votes
    Print Recipe

    Ingredients
      

    For the Dressing

    • 1 cup bottled Italian dressing recommend refrigerated type
    • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
    • zest of ½ lemon
    • ½ teaspoon black pepper
    • ½ teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

    For the Salad

    • 6-8 ounces pasta
    • 10-12 sprears asparagus cut into 1 inch pieces
    • ½-1 pint grape tomatoes halved
    • 2-3 ounces Feta cheese crumbled
    • ½ cup pitted kalamata olives optional

    Instructions
     

    For the Dressing

    • Mix all ingredients and shake or whisk until well blended.

    For the Salad

    • Cook pasta according to package directions, adding asparagus in the last two minutes of cooking time.
    • Drain pasta and asparagus thoroughly.
    • Mix pasta, asparagus, dressing and remaining ingredients.
    • Garnish if desired with fresh, chopped herbs.
    • Chill until serving time, but at least 1 hour.
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
    bowl of pasta salad

    FAQ’s about Pasta Salad

    WHAT TYPE OF PASTA IS BEST?
    You can use any type you like, but the medium to small size like bowtie (Farfalle), elbows or mini penne are most typically used.
    CAN YOU MAKE PASTA SALAD AHEAD OF TIME?
    Pasta salad can be made several hours ahead of time. If you need to make it longer than that we recommend waiting to add the dressing right before serving. Before you refrigerate, tightly toss the ingredients with olive oil to keep them from sticking together.
    CAN I MAKE MY FAVORITE HOMEMADE VINAIGRETTE DRESSING?
    Absolutely! We developed this recipe to be quick and easy, but if you have a favorite dressing you like to use go for it!
    WHAT IF WE DON’T LIKE FETA CHEESE?
    You could leave the cheese out altogether, but we recommend adding some if possible. Other great choices would be grated mozzarella, any type of blue cheese or goat cheese crumbles.

    If you make this or any of our recipes we’d love for you to leave us a comment and star rating. If you’re into sharing your creations, snap a photo and tag us when you post it to Facebook or Instagram.

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    Categories: Dressings Tags: salads, side dish

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jess says

      March 30, 2021 at 9:37 am

      5 stars
      I love love LOVE all the added veggies in this salad. YUMMY!

      Reply
      • Pam says

        March 30, 2021 at 9:46 am

        Thanks so much, Jess!

        Reply
    2. Bintu | Budget Delicious says

      March 30, 2021 at 9:42 am

      5 stars
      As the weather starts to heat up here, we will definitely be eating more pasta salads and this sounds like such a healthy and delicious lunch option – I love the addition of asparagus too!

      Reply
      • Pam says

        March 30, 2021 at 9:47 am

        We’re positive you’ll love it. Thanks, Bintu!

        Reply
    3. Michelle says

      March 30, 2021 at 9:48 am

      5 stars
      This is such a fresh and delicious salad — perfect for summer BBQs!

      Reply
      • Pam says

        April 01, 2021 at 5:48 pm

        That’s what we’re thinking too!

        Reply
    4. Rosemary says

      March 31, 2021 at 10:55 pm

      The wonderful colorful vegetables and the touch of asparagus makes it divine. I can’t wait to make this salad when the temperatures rise.

      Reply
      • Pam says

        April 01, 2021 at 5:46 pm

        Us too! Thanks, Rosemary.

        Reply

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