Spring has sprung and we are celebrating with fresh, bright salads like this Spring Pasta Salad. Nothing screams spring like a bowl full of healthy ingredients, fresh vegetables, fruit and light lemony dressings.
I don’t know about you but I love pasta salads, and not just for picnics and spring get-togethers. With Mother’s Day coming up this would be the perfect dish to make for your celebration. There is no better way to celebrate the special women in your life than with a sweet, beautiful salad, a bottle of rose and a fresh bouquet of flowers.
Ingredients
8 ounces of Montebello Fusilli Pasta (Found at Weekends)
3 organic carrots, chopped
2 cups organic strawberries, sliced
1 mango, pit removed, diced
2 mandarins, peeled and seperated
1 small bunch of greens {I used spinach but use whatever you like}, washed, trimmed, chopped
1 large bell pepper, diced {I used a mixture of red, yellow and orange}
1/2 cup bulk sunflower seeds
1/2 cup bulk dried cranberries
zest of half the lemon
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
Lemon Honey Dressing:
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 lemons, juiced {about 1/4 cup}
1/4 cup honey
Or use one of our pre-made, in-stock dressings like Stonewall Lemon Avocado Oil Aioli
Directions
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Add the pasta and cook until al dente; drain, then rinse with cold water to cool.
3. In a large bowl, combine pasta, carrots, strawberries, mango, mandarins, greens, bell pepper, fresh mint, parsley, sunflower seeds and the dried cranberries and stir well to combine.
4. In a large mason jar or salad dressing container combine the olive oil, lemon and honey and shake or whisk until it is mixed together.
5. Pour half of the dressing over the pasta salad and gently stir to combine.
6. Add the parsley, mint and lemon zest stir again. Taste and adjust salt, pepper and more dressing if you like.
7. Refrigerate until you are ready to serve.
Notes
I like to keep the other half of the dressing to add more to the salad when I am ready to serve it. The first part of the dressing gets soaked into the salad if you refrigerate it.
Feel free to add additional ingredients. Some ideas: grilled meats, avocado, white beans, chickpeas, feta cheese, zucchini, cauliflower, other dried fruit or nuts of your choice and other fresh herbs.
Original recipe derived from https://www.acedarspoon.com/spring-pasta-salad/