Layered Spring Pasta Salad Delight
A bright, layered pasta salad bursting with crisp spring veggies, fresh herbs, and a lemon-Dijon zing. Perfect for picnics, potlucks, or easy lunches.
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Servings:
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 12 oz dry rotini pasta
- 2 cup chopped asparagus bite-size pieces
- 1 cup green peas fresh or thawed frozen
- 1.5 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup diced cucumber
- 0.75 cup thinly sliced radishes
- 0.5 cup thinly sliced red onion
- 3 cup baby spinach loosely packed
- 0.67 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 0.25 cup chopped fresh dill
- 0.33 cup chopped fresh parsley or mint
- 0.33 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 0.25 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1.5 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1.5 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp kosher salt plus more to taste
- 0.5 tsp black pepper
Instructions
Preparation Steps
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil.
- Boil pasta until al dente, 7–9 minutes. During the last 2 minutes, add asparagus and peas to blanch.
- Drain, rinse under cold water, and spread on a tray to cool and steam-dry.
- Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon, honey, garlic, lemon zest, salt, and pepper until smooth.
- Slice radishes and red onion. Halve tomatoes, dice cucumber, and chop herbs.
- Toss cooled pasta lightly with a few spoonfuls of dressing to keep it from sticking.
- Layer in a clear bowl: spinach, pasta, cucumber and tomatoes, asparagus and peas, onion and radishes, feta, then herbs. Drizzle remaining dressing.
- Chill 20 minutes for flavors to meld. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, or lemon before serving.
Notes
Try it with sugar snap peas, goat cheese, or grilled chicken for extra protein. Swap dill for basil or mint if you prefer. For make-ahead, keep the dressing and greens separate and combine just before serving.
This recipe is an original creation inspired by classic Layered Spring Pasta Salad Delight flavors. All ingredient ratios and instructions are independently developed.