Asparagus Pasta Salad Recipe

This is a very quick and easy to make asparagus pasta salad. All you need is pasta, asparagus and few other ingrediants tossed together which you should hopefully find in your fridge. This pasta salad with asparagus can be ready in just 30 min and contains 416 kcal per serving. It is suitable for vegetarians and those on a low GI diet.

Recipe Nutritional Profile: Heart Healthy, High Fiber, High Protein, Low Cholesterol, Low in Saturated Fat, Low Sodium, Dairy Free, Vegetarian. Good Source of: Folate, Vitamin C, Iron, Manganese.

Serves 2:

Preparation time: 10 min

Cooking time: 20 min

Per 1 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories

416

Calories from Fat

112

% Daily Value^*

Total Fat

12g

18%

Saturated Fat

Polyunsaturated Fat

Monounsaturated Fat

Cholesterol

0mg

Sodium

162mg

Total Carbohydrates

59g

Dietary Fiber

12g

48%

Sugars

Protein

18g

36%

Vitamin A 14%	•	Vitamin C 26%
Calcium 8%	•	Iron 35%
Potassium 13%	•	Folate 25%
Manganese 73%	•

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. The information provided here is approximate and does not include: possible substitutions, optional ingredients and ingredients to taste. How did we calculate Recipe Guidelines?

© Lose-Weight-With-Us.com

Salad Ingredients:

2 cups of whole wheat fusilli pasta;

125g (4 oz.) asparagus;

6 mushrooms, sliced;

10 pitted Kalamata olives, sliced;

1 tbsp. of olive oil;

Salt and pepper to taste.

Salad Dressing Ingredients:

3 tbsp. pine nuts;

1 cup fresh basil leaves;

2 garlic cloves;

2 tbsp. lemon juice;

5 tbsp. of pasta cooking water;

1 tbsp. of olive oil (optional).

How to Make the Asparagus Pasta Salad:

Cut the tough asparagus ends off.
Fill a large saucepan with water and bring it to the boil, then add the asparagus and cook for 2-3 min. Use tongs to remove the asparagus from the boiling water and put into a colander, rinse under cold water.
Add salt and a dash of olive oil to the water in the saucepan and bring it back to the boil, then add the pasta, let the water simmer, and cook the pasta until it is al dente.
When the pasta is ready, retain ½ cup of cooking water, drain the rest and rinse the pasta under cold water and empty into a bowl.
Preheat the frying pan with 1 tbsp. of olive oil, salt the oil and add mushrooms. Cook for a few minutes stirring occasionally until a golden color. When ready, put into the bowl with the pasta.
Cut the asparagus diagonally into 1” (2.5cm) long pieces and add to the pasta.
Combine the olives and pasta.
Use a food processor to make the salad dressing. Drop into a running food processor garlic, pine nuts, basil leaves, and lemon juice. Gradually add the water left from the cooking pasta, starting from 3 tbsp. and more if needed. Add optional olive oil.
Toss the pasta with salad dressing. Season it with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve at room temperature or keep in a refrigerator till ready to serve.