Lemony spring pasta salad

Lemony spring pasta salad is a great vegan option for spring holiday gatherings. Loaded with vegetables, chickpeas, and a lemon dressing. Easy to make ahead and naturally nut-free!

I fixed up this spring pasta salad with that relief-inducing potluck dinner option in mind. It’s familiar (lemony, PASTA), vibrant and vegetable-filled, delicious, seasonal, seriously filling, and quite simple to fix up. It’s also very make-ahead friendly. Once I get a couple scoops of this on my plate along with a helping of the obligatory green salad, I’m good to go :) I include lots of modifications in the recipe as well if you want to go in a different direction.

Ingredients:

Lemony Dressing

• 1 ½ teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• ½ small shallot, chopped
• 2 teaspoons agave nectar/maple syrup
• ¾ teaspoon Dijon mustard
• sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
• ½ cup neutral-flavoured oil, I like avocado

Pasta Salad

• ¾ lb asparagus, woody ends trimmed
• 1 cup shelled green peas, fresh or frozen
• 1 lb small pasta (I used a mini penne, but orzo, small rotini, baby shells, or orecchiette are all good)
• 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas, from approximately 1 can, drained & rinsed
• 3 green onions, finely sliced
• 6-7 radishes, finely sliced into half moons
• ½ cup flat leaf parsley leaves, chopped