Warm Asparagus & Pasta Salad, with Vegan Feta!

This Warm Asparagus & Pasta Salad is a real winner in our house, and with the British Asparagus season at its height, what better time to make it?

Serving 4 people, it is absolutely delicious warm served alongside other salads such as my red cabbage slaw and my politiki salad for a main course. And, if you have any leftovers, it makes a fantastic and tasty lunchbox filler the next day.

If you are not serving other dishes with it, it will make a hearty main dish for 2 people.

When preparing asparagus you are supposed to break the stems rather than cutting them. To do this, you should hold both ends of the asparagus and bend it until it snaps.

However, in my opinion, it does depend on the size of your asparagus. When using asparagus tips, such as in this recipe, I hold the asparagus right down the stem so as not to waste too much as they are quite soft anyway, and I only want to take off the bit that has dried out from where it was cut during harvesting.

However, even with large asparagus, I cut it rather than snap it off as I can’t bear to waste any, so I cut as low down as possible, where the stalk is just and just starting to resist the knife.

How To Make Warm Asparagus & Pasta Salad

Equipment you will need

Kitchen scales

Sharp knife

Sieve

Garlic mincer

Measuring spoons

Large frying pan

Spatula or similar

Step 1 – Bring a pan of water to a boil and add a good pinch of salt and the pasta. Bring back to a boil, reduce the heat a little to maintain a simmer for 10 minutes.

I love using soup pasta. It’s quick to cook and very cute! It should be easily found in larger supermarkets.

Step 2 – Drain the pasta in a sieve, or colander, and run under cold water to stop the pasta from cooking further. Set aside.

Cooling the pasta in this way is really good for maintaining an al dente texture, which is how pasta should really be eaten. An al dente texture is great when you are stirring pasta into other foods and by running under cold water, it also removes the starch which can make pasta a little slimy, especially if overcooked.

Step 3 – Heat the oil and add the shallots. Cook over a medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onions have softened and started to brown.

Step 4 – Add the garlic and tomatoes and continue to cook for 3 minutes.

Step 5 – Next, add the asparagus. Increase the heat and stir-fry for 1 minute.

Asparagus, especially asparagus tips, take very little time to cook and should also be a little al dente (still firm when bitten), like the pasta!

Step 6 – Reduce the heat to low and stir in the pasta. Season well with freshly ground salt and black pepper and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes, to heat the pasta through.

Step 7 – Remove from the heat and stir in the feta and chopped parsley.

I have tried a couple of vegan fetas and violife, in my opinion, is by far the best. My husband says it’s better than dairy feta!

However, violife feta will melt at high temperatures so it’s important to add when off the heat so it melts a little but retains some shape too.

Step 8 – Transfer to a serving dish lined with shredded lettuce and decorate with slices of tomato (optional), and serve warm with salads. It is really good with my Red Cabbage Slaw and my Politiki salad.

Did you try this recipe? Which feta did you use? I would really love to hear your thoughts, so please leave a comment in the comments box below ????????

Happy pasta salad making and ENJOY! ????