The Sol Journal

Lemon & Asparagus Pasta Salad

recipes

Lemon & Asparagus Pasta Salad

09 September, 2024

Welcome spring with our Lemon & Asparagus Pasta Salad, a fresh, tasty dish that also supports a healthy gut with microbiome-friendly ingredients.

Serves: 8
Time: 20 minutes

Perfect for Spring and transitional seasons, this lemon and asparagus pasta salad is a delightful mix of fresh herbs, zesty lemon, ginger, and honey. It is full of immune-loving goodness from ginger, thyme, and oregano, plus microbiome benefits from cooked and cooled pasta creating resistant starch. A healthy gut = a healthy immune system!

Ingredients

1 and 1/2 cup pasta of choice (we love using gluten-free pasta shells as they collect all the goodness!)
1 french shallot finely diced
1/2 a cucumber sliced into quarter moons
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 cup fresh herbs roughly chopped (we used dill, basil and parsley)
1 cup asparagus roughly chopped
3 radishes thinly sliced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 lemon
1 tbsp organic apple cider vinegar
1 tsp organic Dijon mustard
1 knob of fresh ginger (approx. 7g) skin-off and finely grated
1 tbsp raw honey
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 cup Danish feta crumbled
1/2 cup pine nuts toasted

Method

  1. Make your pasta according to the package instructions. Add in the chopped asparagus and frozen peas for the last minute and drain. Rinse with cold water to stop the cooking and set aside.
  2. To a small jar, jug or bowl, add the olive oil, juice and zest of the lemon, apple cider vinegar, dijon, ginger, honey, dried thyme and oregano. Whisk or shake to combine and set aside.
  3. To a large bowl or serving dish, add the cooked and cooled pasta, asparagus and peas then the chopped shallot, cucumber and radish. Drizzle on around 3/4 of the dressing and toss to combine.
  4. Top with the Danish feta, fresh herbs and toasted pine nuts. Toss once more and plate as desired. Dig in and enjoy!

Note: This pasta salad is perfect for meal prep and can last in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Serve with your favourite protein source or toss through some white beans for extra protein!