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This is an overhead view of a shallow bowl with spaghetti topped with shredded asparagus and toasted pine nuts. A fork has spaghetti twirled around the fork and leaning against the side of the bowl.
Asparagus pasta salad with sweet lemon dressing is a light and delicious dinner! Tossed with asparagus, this meal is great served hot or cold!

Asparagus pasta salad is going to be your go-to summer recipe. It’s delicious served hot or cold and feels so fresh with the sweet lemon dressing.

What I love about pasta salads is they are so simple to throw together and prep ahead of time! They’re the perfect easy dinner or side to prep for your summer dinner or backyard bbq.

You can really customize the ingredients. I love the shredded asparagus but shredded brussels sprouts or green beans would also be delicious!

This is an overhead view of cooked spaghetti in a colander, chopped asparagus in a food processor, shredded parmesan in a bowl, toasted pine nuts in a bowl, and lemon dressing in a mason jar. The ingredients sit on a white counter.

Ingredients for this asparagus pasta salad:

Asparagus. This is one of the main ingredients of this recipe, so I strongly suggest you grab a bunch of asparagus. if you absolute neeeed to sub in another ingredient, I’d try some green beans . We’re shredding them after we roast them so I think it’ll achieve a similar texture.

Pasta. There are so many types of pasta you could use! Not only could you sub the type of pasta you use – for instance you could use lentil pasta, chickpea pasta, etc. You can also sub in the shape of pasta you use. I used some spaghetti, but

Pine Nuts. Toasted, obviously.

Parm. I love shredded, grated or shaved parm. You

Things for our lemony dressing. I’m talking lemon juice, avocado oil (or olive oil), agave nectar (honey or maple syrup), apple cider vinegar, and dijon mustard.

  • This is an overhead view of a shallow bowl sitting on a white counter. In the bowl is spaghetti topped with shredded asparagus and toasted pine nuts.
  • This is a side view of a shallow bowl with spaghetti topped with shredded asparagus and toasted pine nuts. A fork has spaghetti twirled around the fork and leaning against the side of the bowl.

How to make this asparagus pasta salad:

Prep the asparagus. Place your asparagus on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and drizzle with the tablespoon of oil. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes. Once the asparagus is done roasting, add it to a food processor and pulse a few times until it is chopped up and shredded. Make sure not to over process it.

Cook your pasta. While the asparagus is roasting, cook your pasta according to package instructions and then drain. Set aside.

Toast the pine nuts. Toast the pine nuts in a pan over medium-low heat, shaking or stirring frequently until the are fragrant and golden brown. Set aside.

Make the dressing. In a small mason jar add the dressing ingredients: lemon juice, oil, agave, dijon, and vinegar. Shake until combined. 

Assemble the pasta salad. Add the dressing to the empty pasta pot (or a separate large bowl) along with the cooked, drained pasta, and most of the chopped asparagus. Toss until the pasta is coated with the dressing. Plate the pasta, and top it with any additional chopped asparagus, toasted pine nuts, and parmesan. 

This is a side view of a shallow bowl sitting on a white counter. In the bowl is spaghetti topped with shredded asparagus and toasted pine nuts.

More pastas salads to try:

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This is an overhead view of a shallow bowl with spaghetti topped with shredded asparagus and toasted pine nuts. A fork has spaghetti twirled around the fork and leaning against the side of the bowl.

Asparagus Pasta Salad

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews
  • Author: Lindsay Grimes Freedman
  • Prep Time: 10 min
  • Cook Time: 20 min
  • Total Time: 30 min
  • Yield: serves 4 1x
  • Category: dinner
  • Method: stovetop
  • Cuisine: pasta
  • Diet: Vegetarian
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Description

Asparagus pasta salad with sweet lemon dressing is a light and delicious dinner! Tossed with asparagus, this meal is great served hot or cold!

Scale

Ingredients

Pasta Salad:

  • 10 oz. bunch of asparagus
  • 1 tablespoon avocado oil (or olive oil)
  • 8 oz. pasta
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts
  • 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan

Sweet Lemon Dressing:

  • 2 lemons, juiced (about 1/3 cup juice)
  • 4 tablespoons avocado oil (or olive oil)
  • 4 tablespoons agave nectar (or honey or maple syrup)
  • 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 400F. 
  2. Place your asparagus on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and drizzle with the tablespoon of oil. 
  3. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes. 
  4. While the asparagus is roasting, cook your pasta according to package instructions and then drain. Set aside.
  5. Toast the pine nuts in a pan over medium-low heat, shaking or stirring frequently until the are fragrant and golden brown. Set aside.
  6. In a small mason jar add the dressing ingredients: lemon juice, oil, agave, dijon, and vinegar. Shake until combined. 
  7. Once the asparagus is done roasting, add it to a food processor and pulse a few times until it is chopped up and shredded. Make sure not to over process it.
  8. Add the dressing to the empty pasta pot (or a separate large bowl) along with the cooked, drained pasta, and most of the chopped asparagus. Toss until the pasta is coated with the dressing. 
  9. Plate the pasta, and top it with any additional chopped asparagus, toasted pine nuts, and parmesan. 

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1/4 the batch
  • Calories: 385
  • Sugar: 23.1g
  • Sodium: 276mg
  • Fat: 12.7g
  • Saturated Fat: 2.9g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 0g
  • Trans Fat: 0g
  • Carbohydrates: 58.1g
  • Fiber: 4.5g
  • Protein: 15g
  • Cholesterol: 49mg

Keywords: asparagus pasta salad