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    Home » All Recipes » Healthy Salads + Grain Bowls

    Spring Pasta Salad

    Published: May 19, 2022 by Megan · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe

    This Spring Pasta Salad is filled with fresh veggies like asparagus, peas, and artichokes for the best healthy vegan side dish. Plus, It's topped with a lemon basil vinaigrette that makes it the perfect Green Goddess Pasta salad recipe!

    bowl of pasta salad with asparagus, scallions, chickpeas, peas, basil, artichokes, lemon, and pine nuts.

    There is nothing better than a vegetable pasta salad in the Summer.

    Between my Herby Potato Salad, Mediterranean Orzo Salad, and this new asparagus artichoke pasta salad, I have you covered with everyone's favorite side dish!

    Ingredients:

    labeled spring pasta salad ingredients.

    Ingredient notes:

    • Marinated Artichokes: To make this artichoke pasta salad taste amazing, we are using canned marinated artichoke hearts. You'll want to strain the excess marinade before adding the artichokes to the pasta salad, but using marinated artichokes gives this dish a ton of flavor.
    • Pasta: Any shape of pasta works, but I recommend a shorter spiral shape as this tends to work best with the lemon basil vinaigrette.

    How to make green goddess pasta salad

    Cook pasta & blanch veggies

    First, cook the pasta in salted boiling water. In the last 2 minutes of cooking, add in the asparagus and frozen peas. This helps to blanch the veggies so they have a tender texture and retain their bright green color.

    Make the basil lemon vinaigrette

    While the pasta is cooking, make the lemon basil dressing. Add the fresh basil, lemon juice, lemon zest, dijon mustard, garlic, olive oil, salt, & pepper to a blender and blend until smooth.

    Mix & chill in the fridge

    Add the cooked pasta, blanched asparagus and peas, marinated artichoke hearts, cooked chickpeas, red onion, scallions, and basil to a large mixing bowl.

    bowl filled with pasta, chickpeas, red onion, basil, artichokes, scallions, asparagus.

    Then, pour on the lemon basil vinaigrette and toss everything together. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for a few hours or up to 24 hours before serving.

    Serve with toasted pine nuts

    Top the cold vegetable pasta salad with toasted pine nuts and fresh basil. Then, serve and enjoy as the perfect vegan side dish!

    tongs grabbing out scoop of spring pasta salad from a large mixing bowl.

    FAQ & Tips:

    What pasta works best in this asparagus artichoke pasta salad?

    I recommend a shorter spiral pasta as that holds onto the vinaigrette better. If you want to make this a gluten-free pasta salad, just swap in gluten-free pasta.

    Can I use a different dressing?

    Definitely! While I love the really light flavor of basil and lemon in this spring pasta salad, other dressings work just as well.

    You could try out the cilantro tahini dressing I used in my Veggie Quinoa Bowls, the orange curry dressing in my Fall Harvest Bowl, or even use your favorite store-bought dressing.

    How do I store leftover pasta salad?

    Pasta Salad can be stored in a closed container in the fridge for 4-5 days. In fact, it's actually the best if eaten 5- 24 hours after it is made so the vegetables can soak up the flavor of the dressing.

    I don't recommend freezing pasta salad as some of the ingredients could get soggy when defrosting.

    bowl of pasta salad with asparagus, scallions, chickpeas, peas, basil, artichokes, lemon, and pine nuts.

    I can't wait for you to try this delicious & light Spring Pasta Salad. With artichokes, asparagus, basil, and peas- it truly celebrates the best flavors of the season!

    -TSG

    More healthy salads & grain bowls you will love:

    • big bowl of salad filled with spinach, orzo, chickpeas, tomatoes, olives, fresh dill, parsley, red pepper, and lemon slices
      Vegan Mediterranean Orzo Salad
    • Vegan Chickpea Quinoa Arugula Salad with Lemon Garlic Dressing
    • quinoa pesto bowl with corn, asparagus, mushroom, and fresh basil
      Pesto Quinoa Bowl (Vegan & GF!)
    • a bowl of linguine pasta salad filled with celery, tomato, red onion andwith a fork of noodles on the side
      Vegan Linguine Pasta Salad

    If you loved this recipe, please leave a 5-star review on the recipe card. I always appreciate your feedback and support! You can also follow along on my Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Pinterest, or sign up for our newsletter!

    bowl of pasta salad with asparagus, scallions, chickpeas, peas, basil, artichokes, lemon, and pine nuts.

    Spring Pasta Salad

    This fresh Spring Pasta Salad is filled with fresh veggies like artichokes, peas, and asparagus and topped with a lemon basul viniagrette for a healthy vegan side dish!
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Pin
    Course: Healthy Salads + Grain Bowls
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 4 servings
    Author: Megan Horowitch

    Ingredients 
    US Customary - Metric

    Pasta & Veggies

    • 8 ounces dried pasta any shape
    • ½ bunch asparagus about 2 cups chopped
    • 1 cup frozen peas if using fresh skip blanching
    • 8 ounces cooked chickpeas About ½ can of cooked chickpeas
    • 3 scallions finely diced
    • 8 ounces canned marinated artichoke hearts strain out excess marinade
    • ½ red onion finely diced
    • ¼ cup thinly sliced fresh basil

    Lemon Basil Vinaigrette

    • ½ cup fresh basil
    • ¼ cup olive oil
    • 3 Tablespoons lemon juice 1 lemon juiced
    • ½ Tablespoon lemon zest zest of 1 lemon
    • 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
    • 1 garlic clove
    • 1 teaspoon salt add more or less depending on preference
    • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

    Garnishes

    • ¼ cup fresh basil optional, as garnish
    • 2-4 Tablespoons toasted pine nuts optional, as garnish

    Instructions

    • First, prep the veggies. Chop the asparagus into 2-inch-long pieces. Finely dice the red onion and scallions. Cut the artichoke hearts into smaller chunks if desired. Thinly slice the basil into long strips. Strain the chickpeas if using canned chickpeas. Once done, set all the vegetables aside.
    • Next, cook the pasta in boiling water according to the package instructions. In the last 2 minutes of cooking, add in the chopped asparagus and frozen peas and blanch in the boiling water to soften. If using fresh peas, do not add them to the water. Then, strain the pasta and vegetables in a colander and run them under cold water to stop them from cooking further.
    • While the pasta is cooking, make the lemon basil vinaigrette. Add the basil, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, dijon mustard, garlic clove, salt, and pepper to a blender and blend until smooth.
    • Add the cooked pasta, blanched asparagus & peas, chickpeas, diced red onion, diced scallions, sliced basil, and artichoke hearts to a large mixing bowl. Then, pour over the lemon basil vinaigrette.
    • Toss everything together until the pasta and veggies are completely coated in the dressing. Then, cover with a lid or plastic wrap and add to the fridge to chill for 2-24 hours. You can also eat the pasta salad right away, but the flavors get better if left to sit and chill.
    • Serve with optional fresh basil and toasted pine nuts on top. Enjoy!

    Notes

    • The dressing in this recipe is really light and fresh. If you would like a heavier dressing, feel free to double the dressing for this recipe or even mix in vegan mayo for a more classic pasta salad texture
    • Pasta Salad can be stored in a closed container in the fridge for 4-5 days. In fact, it's actually the best if eaten 5- 24 hours after it is made so the vegetables can soak up the flavor of the dressing.
    • I don't recommend freezing pasta salad as some of the ingredients don't keep as well in the freezer.
    • If you'd like to add more ingredients, this pasta salad also tastes great with chopped green olives, capers, vegan parmesan, cherry tomatoes, fresh dill, diced cucumbers, or arugula added in.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1large bowl (no garnishes) | Calories: 494kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Sodium: 989mg | Potassium: 457mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1361IU | Vitamin C: 36mg | Calcium: 76mg | Iron: 4mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @shortgirltallorder or tag #sgtoeats!
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    Hi, I'm Megan! I believe eating plant-based food can be enjoyable for everyone. Eating plants doesn't have to be hard and it certainly shouldn't be boring. I am here to help you on your journey to eating food you actually feel good about and to make cooking at home fun again! 

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