Asparagus Pasta Salad Recipe

Asparagus Pasta Salad Recipe

Enjoying the fresh taste of asparagus this summer? You are going to just love this simple Asparagus Pasta Salad recipe!

Easy to put (ok throw!) together and so wonderful delicious in the summer, this Asparagus Pasta Salad Recipe is one that I actually make year round with different kinds of veggies, but I especially love it in the summer months when I can find fresh asparagus locally. It is a very refreshing salad for summer days, but also has a very filling effect, thanks to the pasta.

Asparagus Pasta Salad Recipe

(serves 4 – generously)

Ingredients:

16 ounces pasta (any shape)
1 pound of asparagus
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
1 pound fresh asparagus
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt & pepper

Instructions:

Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package, drain and set aside. Reserve one cup of the pasta water.

Wash the asparagus, trim off the tough ends and cut into bite-size pieces.

In a large skillet over medium-high, add the olive oil, butter, garlic, onions, and asparagus. Sauté for 5 to 6 minutes or until the asparagus are tender.

Turn the heat down to low, add the pasta and toss to coat. Keep tossing until the pasta is heated through. Add the reserved pasta water a little at a time, if needed. I used about 1/4 cup.

Remove from the heat, sprinkle with a little Parmesan and toss to combine. Repeat this process until most of the Parmesan is incorporated.

Taste and add salt and pepper to your liking.

Serve immediately with the reserved Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.

I usually double this recipe because I love this salad chilled and it works perfectly as a side dish to so many meals. It’s great to have on hand in the fridge for those times when you need a filling snack or side but are short on time.

Notes:

I cooked up two 12-ounce boxes of pasta, because my kids love having leftover pasta. They love “plain spaghetti” as a snack, which is just pasta, melted butter and Parmesan cheese 🙂 It’s actually one of my best mom hack tips: save time by cooking extra and you will be so glad that you did when the next “I’m hungry” moment comes and you have a simple snack on hand!

You can add any kind of vegetable to this. Sliced peppers, mushrooms and zucchini would all be good too!

Will you try this Asparagus Pasta Salad recipe this summer?