Spring Pasta Salad with Asparagus and String Beans
June 4, 2026. — Susan Greene
The past two weeks, I have received bright, fresh bundles of asparagus from my spring start-up CSA. I usually roast it, as I shared last season, but I wanted to try something new and figured a pasta salad with asparagus and some string beans I picked up at the farm stand would be delicious, especially with a lemon-Dijon dressing. This meat-free spring salad is light, but still packs a protein punch with fresh feta and chickpeas, and it was the side dish to a grilled dinner on a warm spring evening.
Ingredients
- 12 oz pasta (farfalle, rotini, or orecchiette)
- 1 bunch asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 cup green beans, trimmed and cut
- 1 cup wax beans, trimmed and cut
- 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- ½ cup feta cheese
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley or basil
Lemon-Dijon Dressing
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Juice + zest of 1 lemon
- 1½ tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp honey or maple syrup
- 1 small garlic clove, finely grated
- Salt + black pepper
Step 1: Cook Pasta
- Boil water on stove and cook pasta until al dente
- Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water, then drain
Step 2: Blanch Vegetables
- Add green beans and wax beans to boiling salted water for 3 minutes
- Add asparagus in the last 1 1/2 minutes
- Transfer all to ice water to keep color and crunch.
Step 3: Rinse Chickpeas
- Rinse canned chickpeas in a colander under cold water.
- Toss with a pinch of salt and drizzle of olive oil.
Step 4: Whisk Dressing
- Whisk all ingredients for the dressing until smooth and fully combined.
Step 5: Combine
- Add pasta, vegetables, chickpeas, herbs, and feta cheese to a large bowl.
- Toss with dressing. Add a splash of reserved pasta water if it needs loosening
- Taste and adjust: more lemon for brightness, salt for depth, and olive oil for richness.
Why this works (protein-wise)
- Chickpeas = main protein base
- Feta/parmesan = added protein + saltiness
- Seeds/nuts = small but meaningful protein + crunch
- Pasta + veggies = makes it feel like a full, balanced bowl