I didn’t grow up on pasta salad so I’m desperately trying to make up for that by finding delicious and easy pasta salad recipes! I love that you can prep them in advance and most importantly take them to the park for a picnic, make them part of a BBQ spread, or just when you need a fast and delicious dinner. This one from BroccYourBody is so good I hope you give it a try. I’ve adapted this recipe to my family’s preferences: goat cheese instead of feta, chickpeas instead of peas, no mint, and of course adding some spice. I personally love her recipe as written, but I guess everyone has to eat!

Recipe is adapted from BroccYourBody!

Makes about 4 servings

Ingredients for the shallot vinaigrette

• 1/3 cup of olive oil
• 3 medium shallots, peeled and sliced thinly 
• 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
• The juice and zest of a lemon 
• 1 teaspoon of honey
• 1/2 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
• Red pepper flakes to taste 
• Kosher salt to taste 
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Ingredients for the pasta salad

• 1 large bunch of asparagus, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces 
• 8 ounces of orzo (see note)
• 1 can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained (see note)
• 4 to 5 cups of arugula or 1 bunch of Tuscan kale, cleaned and finely chopped
• 6 tablespoons of basil, julienned 
• 1 block of goat cheese, crumbled by hand 
• Kosher salt to taste 
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 batch of the shallot vinaigrette 

Directions

1. To make the shallot vinaigrette, add the olive oil and the shallots to a cold skillet and then turn the heat to medium. Starting in cold oil will help the shallots fry more evenly. Once they’re golden brown (but not burned), add the oil and shallots to a small bowl or jar. The shallots will be crispy at first but will start to soften the longer the dressing sits. Add the rest of the ingredients for the vinaigrette and mix well to combine. Taste and adjust with more salt and pepper and set aside. 
2. In the same skillet that you used to fry the shallots, add the asparagus and a drizzle of olive oil, if needed, and cook for a few minutes until tender but they still have a bit to them. Season with salt and pepper. 
3. Cook the orzo in salted, boiling water according to package directions, and then assemble the salad. Add the orzo, asparagus, chickpeas, arugula or kale, basil, and dressing to a large bowl and mix to combine. Crumble in the goat cheese and then taste and adjust with more salt and pepper. 

Notes:

• ORZO: After cooking the orzo, sometimes I like to crisp it up to get the texture of crispy rice. I’ll add the cooled orzo to a skillet with a couple of tablespoons of oil. Leave it undistributed for a few minutes and then check how it looks. Once golden brown underneath, you can mix it up and continue until some or most of the orzo is crisped.
• CHICKPEAS: After I’ve drained and rinsed the chickpeas, I like to toss this in a little salt. I find they taste a lot better with just a bit of seasoning! Try one first to see if it needs it.