Summer Pasta Salad
No potluck or backyard barbecue has ever been complete without a pasta salad, but you should never be forced to settle for the packaged option someone picked up from the store on the way over.
All you need is thirty minutes to toss together this nutritious Summer Pasta Salad. It packs the zesty punch of lemon and the fresh flavors of basil, while coming packed with the sort of nutrients that will keep you feeling your best.
Make as much as you want, but just know that there will be no leftovers!
Ingredients
1 stalk of organic asparagus
1 large lemon (zest and juice)
1/2 cup pesto (I recommend making fresh but store-bought works too)
1 box of noodles of your choice (I used gluten-free chickpea shells)
1 cup cherry tomatoes sliced
1/2 cup fresh basil
3 cloves of garlic
1 cup frozen corn
1 large avocado sliced
1 tsp red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
Let’s Pesto!
Sure, pesto is delicious in all its forms, but nothing tops the freshness of a homemade sauce. Plus, you’re far more likely to avoid the preservatives and seed oils that can be found in the store-bought versions.
If you have five spare minutes, grab your food processor, some basil, garlic, olive oil, and whip up your own delicious pesto.
Here’s a favorite recipe of mine from the food blog Love and Lemons!
The Bone Broth Bonus
If you’re looking for an added nutritional boost, consider boiling your noodles and asparagus in bone broth!
Made from simmering the bones and joints of an animal in water over the course of 12-24 hours, bone broth is full of nutrients you won’t find in water or other traditional stocks. It is full of collagen, the main protein found in ligaments and bones, that can help your joint health, as well as numerous vitamins and minerals that have been found to aid the digestive system, fight inflammation, boost immunity, and more.
Loving Asparagus
Asparagus has the distinction of being one of the few veggies to contain both types of fiber, insoluble and soluble. More specifically, it contains inulin, a type of prebiotic fiber that can go a long way towards improving your gut health.
Studies have also found that a diet rich in asparagus can help lower one’s blood pressure thanks to its high levels of potassium.
Directions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Wash and chop asparagus into 1-inch pieces.
Once water is boiling, add in the pasta, asparagus, and frozen corn. Cook until the pasta and asparagus are done.
While that is cooking, chop up the garlic, basil, cherry tomatoes, and avocado. Prepare the pesto.
Drain and rinse the asparagus, pasta, and corn. Place in a large mixing bowl and add in the chopped garlic and stir.
Once the mixture has cooled, add in the cherry tomatoes, basil, avocado, and pesto.
Zest the entire lemon into the mixing bowl and juice.
Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
Mix together and serve!
Summer Pasta Salad
Ingredients
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Wash and chop asparagus into 1-inch pieces.
- Once water is boiling, add in the pasta, asparagus, and frozen corn. Cook until the pasta and asparagus are done.
- While that is cooking, chop up the garlic, basil, cherry tomatoes, and avocado. Prepare the pesto.
- Drain and rinse the asparagus, pasta, and corn. Place in a large mixing bowl and add in the chopped garlic and stir.
- Once the mixture has cooled, add in the cherry tomatoes, basil, avocado, and pesto.
- Zest the entire lemon into the mixing bowl and juice.
- Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
- Mix together and serve!