Photo: Asparagus Pasta Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 small shallot or 1/2 large shallot, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, eyeball it
- 1 pound asparagus, thin spears
- 2 endive, cored and thinly sliced
- 1/2 small red bell pepper, chopped
- 1/2 pound bow tie pasta, farfalle, cooked to al dente and cooled
- 1/2 cup frozen green peas
- 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, a couple of handfuls
- 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Heat shallot and oil in microwave safe covered dish for 30 seconds or in a small pan on the stovetop over medium low heat for 5 minutes. Allow oil to cool back to room temperature.
Hold a spear of asparagus at each end and snap it. The spear breaks where the tender tops meet the tough bottoms. Line the broken spear up with the bundle of cleaned asparagus. Cut the spears using the guideline of the snapped spear. Par boil the asparagus tops in 1 inch simmering water covered for 3 to 5 minutes. Cool under cold running water and drain. Cut asparagus into 1-inch pieces on an angle and add to a bowl. Combine chopped, cooked asparagus with shredded endive, red bell pepper, cooked pasta, green peas and chopped parsley. The peas will defrost as you toss salad. Pour vinegar into a small bowl and whisk in cooled shallot oil. Pour dressing over salad and toss. Season salad with salt and pepper, to your taste and toss again.
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By hanabana_9077406
Madison, WI
on July 23, 2011
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I cooked this for my parents, and my mom is allergic to shallots, so I used garlic and onion instead. This may have changed the flavor of the dressing, but, if you use this alternative, the dressing needs only about 1/4 C EVOO. I also added the juice of half a lemon, and ~2 tablespoons of "VerJooz" which is a Cabernet Franc verjuice. Next time, I won't even use the lemon, and use about 3 tablespoons VJ instead. If you can find the VerJooz, pick up a bottle - though it is only made in New York. It is great to use in a lot of recipes when a tangy flavor is desired. I also topped the salad with some shaved Parmesan - Reggiano. Finally, I served this dish cold, making it great for the summer heat.
By lariblue
on June 11, 2011
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I also left out the endive, and substituted red onion for shallots. I felt like the dressing was a little oily, so I added a bit of plain greek yogurt. Tasty, but I'm not wild about the original recipe.
By tashbadger
on April 04, 2011
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I've made this three times now and have tweaked the recipe a bit. I added more vinegar, halved grape tomatoes, a few bacon bits, and omitted the endive and peas. The salad tastes so much better if you use fresh parsley. I'm definitely going to take the suggestion of adding garlic to the dressing. My husband doesn't normally like salads, but he loves this one. It's almost better the next day.
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