Asparagus Pasta Salad You’ll Crave all Year Long | A Taste of Spring in a Bowl!

Описание: The arrival of asparagus is a sure sign of spring. Let's celebrate with my flavourful and crunchy Asparagus Orzo Pasta Salad. With its zippy lemon vinaigrette and feta cheese, this salad will become a favourite in your home. It makes a lovely accompaniment to grilled chicken or fish, and it can also be served on its own as a light lunch with a hunk of warm crusty bread on the side.

Give it a try and let me know in the comments what you think!

ASPARAGUS ORZO PASTA SALAD WITH LEMON VINAIGRETTE

Salad ingredients:

250 ml (1 cup) dry orzo pasta
1 bunch fresh asparagus, about 225 g or 1/2 pound
250 ml (1 cup) frozen sweet peas, or fresh peas if you have them
250 ml (1 cup) grated carrot
75 ml (1/3 cup) finely chopped fresh parsley
125 ml (1/2 cup) crumbled feta cheese
125 ml (1/2 cup toasted almond slivers or pine nuts

Lemon vinaigrette ingredients:
1 fat clove garlic, or 2 smallish cloves, crushed and minced
1 finely diced shallot
5 ml (1 tsp) Dijon mustard
Zest of one lemon
Freshly squeezed juice of one lemon
75 ml (1/3 cup) olive oil
Freshly ground pepper

First, make the vinaigrette by shaking together all the ingredients in a jar with a tightly fitting lid.

Next, prep the vegetables. Wash and trim the asparagus of tough ends and then chop into bite sized pieces. Grate the carrot.

Bring a pot of water to a boil.

Make an ice bath by filling a large bowl with cold water and add a few handfuls of ice cubes.

Blanch the peas in the boiling water for no more than a minute. Use a spider to fish them out of the boiling water and put them in the ice bath to stop cooking.

Allow the pot to return to a boil, and do the same with the asparagus. Again, don’t leave the vegetables in the boiling water for more than a minute. The goal is to blanch and get them to a bright green colour but leave them tender and crispy.

Allow the pot to boil again and add the orzo pasta. Cook according to package directions, checking for al dente at about the eight minute mark.

Drain the orzo in a colander and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

Drain the blanched vegetables and tip them out onto a clean tea towel to absorb most of the excess water.

Place asparagus, peas, grated carrot and cooked orzo into a large bowl.

Toast the nuts and add them to the bowl. Crumble in the feta, pour over the dressing and give everything a gentle stir to combine.

Chop the parsley and gently stir this into the salad.

Serve immediately or cover lightly and store in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.

This keeps well for several days in the refrigerator.

Notes
A can of well rinsed white navy beans is a delicious way to add protein and another layer of texture and nutrition to this salad.
The orzo can also be substituted for quinoa.

Enjoy!!