Asparagus Pasta Salad

This asparagus pasta salad recipe is the ultimate way to celebrate spring’s arrival. Made with tender green asparagus, thinly sliced zucchini, baby spinach, and marinated artichoke hearts, it’s a fresh, healthy, and vibrant pasta salad that’s perfect for warmer weather. Tossed in a zesty lemon herb dressing with capers, green onions, and toasted pine nuts, this spring pasta salad is packed with flavor and easy to prepare.

I make this cold asparagus pasta salad every year during asparagus season in Germany, which runs from mid-April through late June. It’s a great way to use seasonal vegetables and makes a beautiful side dish for a barbecue, picnic, or light vegetarian main. Best of all? It holds up wonderfully in the fridge, making it ideal for meal prep or entertaining.

A simple spring asparagus pasta salad loaded with fresh flavors

But it’s not green in the way you might think boring — NOPE, there are tasty artichokes, capers, pine nuts and parmesan together with a zingy dressing to liven things up. And it’s so simple to make. Seriously simple. The asparagus is braised in a skillet, just until al dente and the zucchini, well it’s only in there for a minute. Just long enough to warm it up and soften the texture ever so slightly. The key to a super tasty pasta salad is really fresh and quality ingredients. Because they impart so much more flavor which separates bland from over-the-moon-delicious.

Jarred or fresh marinated artichoke hearts? What’s best?

For this recipe, I used jarred artichoke hearts (not the oily kind) which is totally fine, but if you have the chance pick up some marinated ones at the market or your local delicatessen do it! They taste even better! And a little secret, I really love the herb-marinated packaged artichoke hearts at my local organic food store (Alnatura). Naturally, they are a little more expensive, but super tasty (you’ll find them in the refrigerated section).

Torchiette pasta is a great, original shape. Or pick your favorite short pasta variety.

So what about the noodles? I am the queen of changing things up with using funny shaped noodles in salads. But if I had to choose one, true and tried favorite, it would be farfalle… I think this is purely because of the way they look. Little bowties…little butterflies. And they are easy enough to find in a whole grain or spelt variety. But this time I choose little twisty noodles, called Torchiette, which in Italian means “little torches” – they were perfect.

What Makes This Asparagus Pasta Salad So Special

Fresh, simple, and full of flavor – this pasta salad stands out thanks to:

• Seasonal, crisp asparagus
• A bright lemon-herb dressing
• Plenty of veggies with minimal effort
• The perfect balance of freshness, acidity, and umami
• Great for meal prep – tastes even better the next day
• Light yet satisfying – ideal for spring and summer

If you’re in the mood for more fresh spring recipes, be sure to check out these favorites:

• Easy Greek Pasta Salad
• Mediterranean Pasta Salad
• Roasted Cauliflower Pasta Salad with Chickpeas
• Mediterranean Orzo Pasta Salad

4.75 from 4 votes

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Spring Asparagus Pasta Salad

This easy Spring Pasta Salad is quick and easy to make ahead and is SO delicious! Serves 4 as a main, or 6 or more, as a side.

Course Main Dish

Category Seasonal Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings 4

Calories 684 kcal

Autor Elle

Ingredients

For the pasta salad:

• 400 g short pasta (such as Torchiette, Farfalle, Fusilli, Rigatoni)
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 bunch asparagus sliced on the bias into bite-sized pieces (500 g)
• 1 medium zucchini sliced thinly with a mandoline
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper to taste
• 1 x 310 g jar artichoke hearts (in brine or marinated), drained and coarsely chopped
• 4 green onions, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon capers (in brine), drained and coarsely chopped
• generous handful baby spinach leaves, coarsely chopped
• 40 g parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
• 30 g pine nuts, lightly toasted

For the dressing:

• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water until al dente (according to package directions). Drain pasta and rinse under cold water for about 20-30 seconds until no longer hot. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, as the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the chopped asparagus, season with a generous pinch of salt and pepper, and stir to combine. Sauté for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Stir in the garlic and zucchini, plus 1 tablespoon water (this helps steam the vegetables) and continue sautéing for 1 minute more, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is fragrant. The asparagus should be tender but still slightly crisp on the inside and the zucchini only slightly cooked. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients together in a small bowl until combined.
5. In a large bowl, combine the cooked pasta, asparagus mixture, artichoke hearts, green onions, capers, spinach, parmesan and toasted pine nuts. Drizzle with the dressing, then toss to combine.
6. Serve garnished with additional parmesan, if desired. Enjoy!
7. This spring asparagus pasta salad also keeps well. Just cover it and refrigerate it in a sealed container (for up to 2-3 days).

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