Quinoa Pasta Salad

This light, delicious pasta salad is the perfect summer side for any BBQ or get together! Sun-dried tomatoes, asparagus and feta pair together beautifully with gluten-free quinoa pasta.

Guess what? I’m alive! Fooled  you, didn’t I? My bad, it’s been a whirlwind couple of weeks over here. So let’s catch up. 

Last weekend, I went to Dallas for my friend Carol’s wedding and had an absolute BLAST. Granted, there was more humidity than I (or my hair) would ever like to see again but to be reunited with my friends celebrating the love of the happy couple was a beautiful thing. Even if it meant celebrating with frizzy hair. And bonus: it was the first trip I’ve ever taken with my boyfriend, and we still like each other! I’ll count that as a win. 

Right after coming back from the wedding, it was time for a dose of reality – finals week. Thankfully there were a solid few days between the trip and my Biology exam so I could study. I never thought I would say this – but the final went really well! For any other students out there, I highly recommend you check out my girl Clarissa’s blog and vlog posts for amazingly helpful study and organizational tips. Game changers right there. She’s a life-saver. 

And now, I can say I’m free as a bird. That’s right, finals are over and I can truly function as a human for the next three months of summer vacation! Let’s celebrate with one of my favorite things ever – pasta. 

This was one of those throw-together recipes that turned out surprisingly amazing. Don’t you love when that happens? I can easily say it will be a staple of mine all summer long. Perfect for BBQ’s and potlucks. You can even whip this up for Father’s Day if your dad likes delicious things. I’m going to go out on a limb here and assume he does. So make this happen. 

I used Trader Joe’s Quinoa and Brown Rice Fusilli (aka my favorite pasta ever), but any gluten-free or whole grain pasta will work. The other stars of this dish are the crisp asparagus, sun-dried tomatoes and feta all tossed together in a lemony dressing. Swoon.

I also topped my portion with a sprinkle of toasted slivered almonds for additional crunch. I highly recommend you do the same. I’m just looking out for you. 

Quinoa Pasta Salad

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

20 mins

 

Serves: 2-3

Ingredients

• Pasta Salad:
• ½ lb Quinoa Pasta
• ⅓ Cup Sun-dried Tomatoes
• 1½ Cups Chopped Asparagus Spears
• ⅓ Cup Crumbled Feta
• Optional: 3 Tablespoons Toasted Slivered Almonds
• Dressing:
• ¼ Cup Rice Vinegar
• ½ Teaspoon Lemon Zest
• Juice of 1 Lemon
• 1 Clove of Garlic, minced
• 1-2 Teaspoons Honey, depending on your preference
• 2 Teaspoons Dijon Mustard
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

1. In a medium pan, boil pasta until al dente. Drain and set aside.
2. Using the same pan, bring a few cups of water to a boil and add asparagus. Allow to blanch for 1-2 minutes until bright green but still retaining texture. Rinse with cool water and set aside.
3. Whisk together the vinegar, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, honey, mustard and pepper until combined. Slowly stream in olive oil while quickly whisking until emulsified.
4. In a large bowl combine the pasta, asparagus, sun-dried tomatoes and feta. Pour dressing over the contents and toss until coated.
5. Allow to chill in the fridge until cold. Top with almonds before serving if desired.

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Talk to me:

• Are you taking any fun trips this summer? 
• Fellow students: are you taking the summer off? 
• Do you love pasta as much as I do? (doubt it…)