Ingredients
For the pasta salad:
- 350 g dried pasta (e.g. volanti, orecchiette, farfalle or fusilli)
- 500 g green asparagus, woody ends trimmed
- 200 g hot smoked salmon or cold smoked salmon
- 50 g young arugula leaves (2 generous handfuls)
- 1 small to medium red onion, sliced thinly
For the dressing:
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons wholegrain mustard
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Cook the pasta until al dente, then drain and rinse briefly under cold water. Drain well and set aside.
- Prepare the asparagus: Place asparagus in a large skillet with 60–100 ml water (just enough to cover the base). Cover and steam over high heat for 2–3 minutes (or up to 5 minutes for thicker spears) until tender-crisp and bright green. Rinse under cold water, drain, and cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Lightly cook the salmon (for cold smoked salmon): Heat a small non-stick pan over medium heat. Add the smoked salmon and cook briefly for 1–2 minutes, gently breaking it apart until warmed and flaky. If using hot-smoked salmon, you can skip this step, as it’s already fully cooked and ready to use. Simply flake and add to the salad.
- Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together garlic, mustard, red wine vinegar, lemon juice and olive oil until well combined.
- Assemble the salad: In a large bowl, combine pasta, asparagus, salmon, arugula and red onion. Drizzle over the dressing and toss gently to combine. Serve immediately or chilled. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Notes
- Feel free to increase the amount of salmon to suit your taste. For a milder flavour, you can swap the smoked salmon for freshly cooked salmon.
- If you’re making this ahead, simply add the arugula just before serving so it stays fresh and vibrant.