This Vegetarian Spring Pasta Salad with Gremolata is an easy lift on a hard day. It comes together quickly, it’s packed with good for you veggies and it has your new favorite flavor bomb: Gremolata. It’s just equal parts fresh parsley, lemon zest, garlic and Parmigiano Reggiano. All flavor/no filler.
You can swap out the veggies based on what you have on hand, but try to use leeks if they’re available. Used as a stand-in for onions, leeks are an easy way to zhuzh up familiar dishes without doing a complete dish overhaul. The flavor is familiar yet different enough to pique your interest. They’re available year round, but they taste best from fall to early spring, so now is the perfect time to enjoy this dish!
Feel Good Vibes
- Lupini beans are a plant-based protein and fiber powerhouse.
- Asparagus and lacinato kale bring seasonal greens, minerals, and antioxidants.
- Olive oil adds satisfying fat and helps round out the lemon, garlic, and herb flavors.
Ingredient Substitutions
- No mafalda pasta? Penne or fettuccine.
- No asparagus? Sub sliced roasted red peppers.
- No leeks? Shallot or yellow onion.
- No lacinato kale? Use curly or baby kale. Check FAQs for helpful tip on how to best prepare.
- No lupini beans? Chickpeas.
- No Parmigiano Reggiano? Pecorino Romano.
- No sherry vinegar? Red wine vinegar.
Recipe Tips & FAQs
- When you need to lighten and brighten a dish, gremolata is your new go-to. Prep it before you start the rest of the meal, so it has a little time to dry out (makes it easier to sprinkle on top of the dish). It’s best used the same day it’s made, so just make as much as you need!
- Mafalda pasta, I’m in love! Those waves and ridges are perfect for holding on to sauces and dressings, and they add a surprisingly springy texture to this pasta salad. A little thicker than tagliatelle, a little thinner than pappardelle. This is a Goldilocks type of sitch. Jovial makes an amazing gluten free version.
- It’s best practice to use lacinato kale for cooking, and curly kale for salads. Lacinato is more tender and cooks down silky, while curly kale is more fibrous. I like the lacinato kale slightly cooked for this recipe. If you sub curly kale, just chop it up and add without cooking. And if it’s baby kale, just fold it right in, no need to chop it.
- This salad tastes better at room temperature than cold, so let it warm up a little bit before you eat the leftovers.
- Lupini beans: take my advice, buy them precooked. They are a nutritional powerhouse, but they take weeks to cook properly and it’s just way more effort than it’s worth. I love the Sardinian sea salt marinated ones from Brami.
Serving Suggestions
- Want to add some meat? I love it with Pan Roasted Chicken Thighs.
- Serve it with a simple Tomato Basil Soup.
- Got company? Serve this decadent Chocolate Chinchilla Cake after dinner.
Storage and Shelf Life
Make Ahead: Leeks and kale can be prepped in advance. To prepare pasta ahead of time, cook according to instructions then drain and slack out on a baking sheet. Toss with olive oil to lightly coat, allow it to cool and then transfer to an airtight container. Will hold for up to 2 days.
Refrigerate: Will hold in the refrigerator for up to 2 days in an airtight container.
Freezer: no
Refresh Instructions
To refresh the salad, place it in a thin layer on a baking tray and let it warm up on the counter for 20 minutes before serving. Check to see if it needs more sherry vinegar, olive oil or seasoning.
Final Thoughts
Lately I’ve been obsessed with 2 things: beans in all their forms, and mafalda pasta. Beans because the economy and mafalda pasta because it works so well with the type of pasta dishes I tend to enjoy. Those little ruffles cling to dressings and sauces like their life depends on it and the length and thickness were obviously precisely selected for the perfect bite.
Take pasta night for a spin with this Vegetarian Spring Pasta Salad with Gremolata recipe, it’s going to be the most satisfying part of your day.
Have you tried this recipe yet? If so, please share your experience in the comments below. I honestly cannot wait to hear from you about this one! And don’t forget to sign up for the Everyday Alchemy newsletter here.
Vegetarian Spring Pasta Salad with Gremolata
Special Equipment
- None
Ingredients
- Gremolata:
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons parsley
- 2 tablespoons Parmigiano Reggiano grated
- Pasta Salad:
- 4 cups gluten free mafalda pasta 12 ounces
- 1 bunch asparagus trimmed
- 1 leek white part only, washed, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
- 1 bunch lacinato kale washed and roughly chopped
- 2 cups cooked lupini beans see notes
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil plus 2-3 more tablespoons
- 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- 1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano grated
- Sea salt to taste
- Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare Gremolata: Zest one lemon and grate 2 cloves of garlic. Finely chop 2 tablespoons of parsley. Lay everything on a paper towel to dry slightly while you prepare the rest of the salad. When ready to use, combine with 2 tablespoons of Parmigiano Reggiano.
- Roast the Asparagus: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Toss 1 bunch of asparagus with 1 teaspoon of olive oil, sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste. Roast on a sheet tray until tender and lightly charred, about 8-10 minutes. Let cool slightly, then cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Cook Pasta: Cook 12 ounces of mafalda pasta in well-salted water until just past al dente, according to package instructions. Drain and spread on a sheet tray to cool slightly. Toss with a tablespoon of olive oil.
- Prepare the Vegetables: In a large skillet, heat a small drizzle of olive oil over medium heat. Add the sliced white part of 1 leek and cook until soft and lightly sweet, about 4–5 minutes. Add the cleaned and roughly chopped bunch of lacinato kale and cook until wilted, 2–3 minutes. Season with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Let cool slightly.
- Assemble: In a large bowl, combine pasta, leek and kale mixture, 2 cups of lupini beans and roasted asparagus. Dress with ¼ cup olive oil and 3 tablespoons of sherry vinegar. Toss well and adjust seasoning with more vinegar, olive oil, sea salt, and freshly cracked black pepper as needed. Fold in 1 cup of grated Parmigiano Reggiano.
- Finish & Serve: Spoon the gremolata over the top or fold half into the salad and reserve the rest for garnish. Serve immediately at room temperature, or refrigerate up to 48 hours. Bring back to room temp and refresh with a splash of vinegar and olive oil before serving.
Notes
Hi, I’m Julia.
I’m a chef and wellness advocate passionate about helping others live well through nourishing food. I trained at the Culinary Institute of America and now work as a personal chef and community food advocate in Atlanta.
Want to know what inspired me to start Everyday Alchemy? Click the link icon below to read more.