Spring Pasta Salad
This fresh spring pasta salad is loaded with asparagus, peas, and artichokes in a light lemon dressing. Perfect for potlucks, picnics, or a quick dinner!
These come up often alongside this one: Turmeric Chickpea Vegetable Soup, Grilled Zucchini, Chickpea, Tomato, and Goat Cheese Salad, and Chickpea Farro Soup.
Why This Spring Vegetable Pasta Salad Works So Well
I’ve been making this asparagus pasta salad for years because it’s so simple and reliable. The tender asparagus, sweet peas, and tangy artichokes pair nicely with a light dressing of olive oil and lemon juice. It’s a healthy pasta salad that works for a quick dinner or a potluck without much fuss.
Why You’ll Love This Spring Pasta Salad
- It’s full of seasonal spring vegetables like asparagus, peas, and artichokes, so you don’t need extra sides.
- The dressing is just olive oil and lemon juice, keeping the salad light and fresh without heavy mayo.
- It’s vegetarian and easy to make gluten-free by swapping the pasta.
Key Ingredients for This Spring Pasta Salad
- Asparagus: Look for firm, bright green spears with tight tips. Trim the woody ends before cutting into 1-inch pieces. Frozen asparagus won’t hold up as well, so stick with fresh.
- Artichoke hearts: Use canned or jarred artichoke hearts packed in water, drained and roughly chopped. Marinated ones add extra flavor but also more oil and vinegar, so adjust dressing accordingly.
- Feta cheese: Crumbled feta adds a salty, tangy bite. For a milder flavor, try goat cheese or even shaved Parmesan.
Kitchen Tools for This Spring Pasta Salad
- Large pot for boiling pasta
- Colander for draining and rinsing
- Large mixing bowl for tossing all ingredients
Tips for Making the Best Spring Pasta Salad
Cook the pasta until just al dente, then add the asparagus pieces during the final three minutes. This way both finish at the same time and the asparagus stays bright green and crisp-tender. Rinse with cold water right away to stop the cooking and cool everything down for the salad.
When you toss the salad, start with less olive oil and lemon juice than you think you need. You can always add more, but you can’t take it out. The feta adds some saltiness, so taste before adding extra salt.
Spring Pasta Salad Variations to Try
You can easily change up this salad to suit your preferences. For extra protein, add grilled chicken, shrimp, or chickpeas. Swap the farfalle for penne, orecchiette, or fusilli if you like. If you’re not a fan of feta, crumbled goat cheese or even fresh mozzarella pearls work well. For a pop of color and sweetness, toss in some halved cherry tomatoes.
How to Serve This Spring Pasta Salad
This spring pasta salad works as a main dish for a light lunch or dinner, especially with a piece of crusty bread on the side. If you’re serving it as a side, it pairs beautifully with grilled chicken or fish. It’s also a fantastic choice for picnics and potlucks since it tastes great at room temperature and travels well.
How to Store Leftover Spring Pasta Salad
Store any leftover pasta salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Before serving again, give it a drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to brighten up the flavors and restore some moisture.
Spring Pasta Salad FAQs
Can I use frozen asparagus?
Fresh asparagus works best because frozen can get mushy. If using frozen, add it to the pasta in the last minute of cooking and don’t rinse with cold water.
Can I make this salad ahead?
Yes, you can make it a day in advance. Keep it refrigerated and add an extra drizzle of olive oil and lemon juice before serving.
What other vegetables can I add?
You can add blanched green beans, sugar snap peas, or roasted red peppers. Cherry tomatoes are also nice if added just before serving.
Is this salad gluten-free?
It can be if you use gluten-free pasta. The rest of the ingredients are naturally gluten-free.
Recipe
Spring Pasta Salad
This fresh, simple, and healthy pasta salad makes a great spring main dish or side dish! It is the perfect salad for potlucks, parties, and picnics.
Ingredients
- 1 lb farfalle pasta
- 1 lb fresh asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces, ends trimmed and discarded
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cup baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 1.5 cup peas, we use frozen
- 14 oz artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
- 1 large lemon, juiced
- 0.667 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 0.25 cup chopped basil
- to taste salt and freshly-cracked black pepper
Instructions
- 1
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta to al dente texture, according to package instructions. Three minutes before the pasta is done cooking, carefully add in the asparagus pieces. When the pasta is done cooking, drain the pasta and asparagus. Rinse cold water over the pasta and asparagus.
- 2
Pour the pasta and asparagus into a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and stir. Add the spinach, peas, artichoke hearts, lemon juice, feta cheese, and basil. Toss until combined and season with salt and black pepper. Serve!
- 3
Note-the pasta salad will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If storing it in the fridge, freshen it up with an extra drizzle of olive oil and squeeze of lemon juice before serving.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calorie breakdown
How this was calculated — 9 of 10 ingredients matched
Nutrition information is automatically calculated from USDA FoodData Central, so should only be used as an approximation. Actual values may vary depending on the ingredients, brands, and preparation methods used.
Open in analyzerKeyword: Boiled, nutFree, pasta salad, spring, vegetarian
This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.
Share this recipe
You Might Also Like
View All →
About the Author
NutriforksNutriForks is a home-cooking site built around two simple ideas: recipes should actually work, and you should know what’s in them. Every recipe pairs clear, tested instructions with a full nutrition breakdown, so healthy, everyday cooking is genuinely easy.