Every morning while I’m eating my breakfast, I love to read a cooking magazine. Some people read newspapers, others social media, but I’m all about diving into recipes! This asparagus snap pea pasta salad was inspired by a similar recipe I came across recently.
The recipe was for a lemon dill orzo, and my garden dill has only just started to sprout. My asparagus and snap peas are in full swing, however, so I took the idea and changed it based on what I had.
Instead of lemon dill (which would be delicous) I made a homemade Dijon vinaigrette to dress my pasta salad. It’s tangy and delicious; the bright flavors really boost the earthy spring vegetables.
If you have any leftovers, the pasta will absorb the dressing. I recommend tossing any leftovers with an extra tablespoon of red wine vinegar when you serve it to help keep the salad bright.
Variations to the Asparagus Snap Pea Pasta Salad recipe:
- Easy swaps: shallot for the garlic, bowtie pasta for the orzo, or shaved parmesan for the feta.
- Additions: fresh herbs like parsley or dill, more veggies like steamed broccoli, roasted cauliflower, halved cherry tomatoes, or sliced red bell pepper.
- Make it a light meal: mix in some chickpeas, or your favorite protein. I do this when I want to make it for lunch.
- 8 oz whole wheat orzo pasta
- 2 cups trimmed asparagus
- 2 cups chopped snap peas
- ¼ cup red onion, diced
- ¼ cup feta, crumbled (optional)
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 TBS Dijon mustard
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ tsp each: salt and black pepper
- Cook orzo according to package instructions.
- Toss asparagus and snap peas into the pasta during the last 2 minutes of cooking to blanch. Drain well.
- Combine all ingredients for the Dijon vinaigrette. Toss the vinaigrette with the pasta mixture until evenly coated.
- Serve sprinkled with red onion and feta.
Thank you. I will let you what I use and what the results are.
What can I use instead of Dijon mustard? I think I am one of the few that cannot stand the taste of Dijon. Thank you for any assistance.
I don’t like Dijon that has horseradish in it, so I understand. Do you like other types of mustards? Whole grain or honey mustard would be delicious choices! If not you could make it creamy with mayo or greek yogurt. If you try it with something else, let us know what you used and how it comes out!