This Asparagus and Bacon Spring Salad is packed full of goodies; seasonal veg, risoni pasta and a delicious pesto dressing. An excellent option as a main meal or side salad.
I love spring time. It means a whole lot of lovely, fresh produce will be in store at the supermarket! Daylight savings means longer days, warmer weather, delicious salads and lighter meals.
How to make this simple salad:
This salad is so simple to make first of all you just need to cook the fresh asparagus and risoni pasta. Grill the bacon until it's crispy and slice into bite size pieces. Then it is just a case of layering up all the amazing fresh ingredients on one big platter. Top it off with toasted pine nuts and shaved Parmesan cheese.
The pesto dressing is so simple to make just whisk together olive oil and pesto then drizzle over the warm pasta salad. This salad would be perfect for serving at a special occasion, barbecue or even on Christmas Day. It also makes a delicious midweek meal by simply serving it layered in individual dinner bowls.
If you like to do meal prep you can make this salad at the start of the week and store it in snaplock containers. Add the avocado and dressing just before you eat your salad as you don't want the avocado to turn brown.
For other great ideas on how to cook delicious seasonal asparagus, be sure to check out my recipes for Asparagus and Feta Tart and Grilled Salmon and Potato Salad. Or, for some simple salad ideas, check out my recipes for Best Ever Potato Salad and Best Pasta Salad.
Common questions about Asparagus and Bacon Spring Salad:
What could I use instead of risoni? Couscous or quinoa would work really well as a substitute to pasta.
Can I replace the pine nuts? Sure thing. The pine nuts give the salad a great crunchy texture. A good substitute would be toasted sunflower seeds or even croutons.
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Asparagus and Bacon Spring Salad
A fresh spring salad packed with seasonal veggies, topped with crispy bacon and a pesto dressing.
Ingredients
- 400g risoni / orzo
- 1 bunch asparagus
- 250g streaky bacon
- 100g baby spinach
- 200g cherry tomatoes
- 2 avocados, diced
- 2 spring onions, sliced
- 50g pine nuts, toasted
- 50g fresh parmesan shavings (optional)
Dressing
- 50g pesto
- 50ml olive oil
Instructions
- Cook risoni according to packet instructions.
- Slice each asparagus stem into three pieces and then boil until just cooked.
- Grill bacon rashers in the oven until crispy then chop into bite-size pieces.
- Assemble the salad on a large platter starting with the cooked risoni and stir through baby spinach. Top with a layer of cherry tomatoes, cooked asparagus, avocado, crispy bacon, spring onion and toasted pinenuts. Add parmesan if using.
- To make the dressing whisk together pesto and olive oil, serve in a small jug. Pour over the salad just before serving.
Notes
- If you want to make this salad ahead of time, store in the fridge then add the avocado and crispy bacon just before serving.
- This salad serves 4 as a main or 8-10 as a side dish.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 604Total Fat: 68gSaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 48gCholesterol: 76mgSodium: 1383mgCarbohydrates: 63gFiber: 11gSugar: 4gProtein: 39g
Nutritional values are approximate. Please use your own calculations if you require a special diet.
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India says
Is the serving size for a side dish or main meal? Just wondering if I need to double the recipe for 8 people, but for the Xmas table so they won't be having huge servings
VJ cooks says
Hi India, this salad will easily feed 8 people as a side 🙂