Lemony Spring Pasta Salad Recipe

By theadmin

Vegetable gardens and earthen plots burst with produce come spring. When I was in college in Northern California, I remember driving by fields of artichokes in Watsonville: their spiny crowns pointed toward the sky, their edges tinged with mauve. I always marveled that, under all that armor, their hearts were so tender. Tenderness is the theme of the season with spring vegetables. You can finally steam fresh globe artichokes and revel in their delicate, pale core. Or snap asparagus and — if you’re up for it — tease fresh peas from their pods, unearthing those pearl-size treasures that turn emerald when cooked.

Showcase all that bounty with a one-dish meal that’s as welcome indoors as out — at a picnic or on a back patio. My favorite spring pasta salad is liberally adapted from Laura Wright’s The First Mess Cookbook. Satisfying, refreshing, and full of vegetarian protein in the form of chickpeas, mine adds tahini and Espelette pepper to up the nuttiness and increase the heat (hello, Texas!). And I can’t help adding artichoke hearts.

Ingredients

Salad

1 pound tender asparagus, woody ends trimmed
1 cup shelled green peas (may use frozen)
2 artichoke hearts, quartered (use fresh steamed, if possible)
1 pound pasta (I like to use orecchiette, but any small pasta, including orzo, works well.)
1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (about 1 can)
2 green onions, sliced
8 radishes, thinly sliced
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Lemon zest-tahini dressing

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1/2 small shallot, chopped
1 tablespoon tahini
2 teaspoons maple syrup or agave syrup
1/2 cup olive oil
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
A few pinches of Espelette pepper (optional, for a little kick)

Method

Prepare a large bowl of ice and water. After cooking, you will “shock” the asparagus and peas, a technique that helps them retain their brilliant green color.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Chop the asparagus into 2-inch pieces and cook until just tender (about 2 minutes). Add the peas and cook for a few more seconds until they’re vibrant green. With a slotted spoon, transfer the vegetables to the ice bath. Let them chill.

Return the water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions. Drain the pasta and transfer to a large bowl. Add the rinsed chickpeas.

Add the remaining ingredients.

Make the lemon zest-tahini dressing by whisking all the ingredients in a small bowl until emulsified. Pour over the pasta salad. Toss gently to combine. Taste and adjust (more lemon, salt, pepper, etc.)

Garnish with more chopped parsley and pinches of Espelette pepper, as desired.

Round out the meal with slices cut from a loaf of crusty bread (to mop up any leftover zingy dressing) and a slice of our strawberry-rhubarb tart or lemon meringue pie. Either dessert will, like the main course, sing of the season.