For a super-easy pasta salad that would impress any picnic crowd, we paired convenient store-bought cheese tortellini with crisp asparagus and a dressing inspired by the flavors of classic pesto. First, we blanched the asparagus in the same water we later used to cook the tortellini, which instilled the pasta with the asparagus’s delicate flavor. Once the tortellini were cooked, we tossed them in a bold dressing of extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, shallot, and garlic. To finish the salad, we tossed in some bright, juicy cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, grated Parmesan, and toasted pine nuts along with the blanched asparagus just before serving. Cooking the tortellini until it is completely tender and leaving it slightly wet after rinsing are important for the texture of the finished salad.
Ingredients
- 1 pound thin asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths
- Salt and pepper
- 1 pound dried cheese tortellini
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice, plus extra for seasoning
- 1 shallot, minced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 12 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (½ cup)
- ¾ cup chopped fresh basil, mint, or parsley
- ¼ cup pine nuts, toasted
- Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Fill large bowl halfway with ice and water. Add asparagus and 1 tablespoon salt to boiling water and cook until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer asparagus to ice water and let cool, about 2 minutes; drain and pat dry.
- Return pot of water to boil. Add tortellini and cook, stirring often, until tender. Drain tortellini, rinse with cold water, and drain again, leaving tortellini slightly wet.
- Whisk lemon juice, shallot, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¾ teaspoon pepper together in large bowl. Whisking constantly, drizzle in oil. Add tortellini and toss to combine.
- Add asparagus, tomatoes, Parmesan, basil, and pine nuts and gently toss to combine. Season with salt, pepper, and extra lemon juice to taste. Serve.