Vegan Lemon Asparagus Pasta Salad
This vegan lemon & asparagus pasta salad is perfect for summer and asparagus season! Made with wholesome ingredients, it is oil-free, full of flavor and ready in 20 minutes.
Servings 4 servings
Calories 437kcal
Ingredients
For the lemon parsley pesto
- ⅓ cup walnuts ~40g
- 1 bunch parsley
- 1 lemon (juice and zest) organic
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- salt and pepper
For the lemon asparagus pasta salad
- 600 g asparagus green and white
- 6 medium tomatoes
- 1 ½ cups chickpeas optional
- 4 servings of your favorite pasta
- 1 tsp chili flakes
Instructions
- Start by bringing two pots of water to a boil.
- To one, add the pasta and cook according to package instructions.
- Cut the asparagus into bite-sized pieces and add to the second pot of water. Cook until tender. White asparagus takes longer to cook (~15 minutes) so you want to add that earlier than your green asparagus pieces (~5 minutes).
To make the lemon parsley pesto
- Combine all ingredients in a food processor or high-speed blender and blend until smooth. If the pesto is too dry, you might want to add more water a tablespoon at a time until a smooth consistency is reached.
- Season with salt and pepper.
To assemble the lemon asparagus pasta salad
- Wash the tomatoes and cut into quarters.
- To a mixing bowl, add the drained pasta, cooked asparagus, tomatoes, pesto and chili flakes.
- Optionally, you can add cooked chickpeas to add more plant-based protein.
- Serve warm or cold. This stored in the fridge in an airtight container for ~4 days.
Notes
If you are using white asparagus, make sure that it is peeled. At most places, you can get peeled asparagus but if not, simply use a carrot or potato peeler.
Whenever you are using lemon zest, make sure to get organic lemons. And don't skip the lemon zest in this recipes - it adds a really nice flavor to the pasta salad!