Chèvre and Asparagus Pasta Salad

Here’s the final salad in my summer salad series. Pasta salad counts, okay?! I threw some vegetables in there for good measure. Double the recipe and bring it to your next BBQ or potluck.

Chèvre and Asparagus Pasta Salad

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total time:  30 minutes
Yield: Serves 4

INGREDIENTS           

• 1 bunch asparagus, woody stems removed

• 250g orzo

• 3oz chèvre (goat cheese), crumbled

• 1 tbsp. butter, melted

• 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

• Juice and zest of 1 lemon

• ¼ cup toasted pine nuts

• 2 radishes, sliced thin

• Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Cook orzo according to package directions, drain and drizzle with 1 tbsp. of the olive oil to prevent the orzo from sticking together. While the pasta cools, move on to blanching the asparagus. To do this, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Place the asparagus in the boiling water for 2-4 minutes, depending on thickness (the thicker the stalks, the longer they need to cook). Transfer the asparagus immediately to an ice bath to stop the cooking process.

In a large bowl, toss the pasta with the remaining olive oil, melted butter, lemon juice/zest and salt and pepper. Add in the cooked asparagus, pine nuts, and goat cheese and stir to combine. Garnish with sliced radishes and serve!