This asparagus tahini caesar pasta salad combines roasted asparagus and bell peppers with pasta, cucumber, celery, almonds, and a deliciously tangy and garlicky tahini caesar dressing.
My gosh, it’s nearly the end of asparagus season and I have not yet posted a single recipe! Funny, I love asparagus so much, but this is the first ever asparagus recipe here on Up Beet Kitchen.
I actually had the pleasure of enjoying asparagus fresh out of the garden while I was working on an organic farm in Prince Edward Island several years ago. I was entranced by the asparagus plant and how each stalk grows straight out of the ground… it’s almost otherworldly! And it gave me an appreciation as to why asparagus tends to be quite pricey. Picking those stalks is painstaking and time consuming work.
There is a funny story to share about the genesis of this recipe. My parents were out for a walk the other day and discovered a “free stuff” box at the end of a driveway. In it, they found a couple of retro cookbooks: one of the Best of Bridge cookbooks, and Crazy Plates. We actually used to have both, but my mom had gotten rid of them prior to moving, since, you know, they were sooooo 80s or 90s or early 2000s. But recently, I’ve gotten a new appreciation for classic/vintage recipes. I love looking at them for inspiration and thinking up ways to modernize/healthify them a bit.
So, they brought them home and I’ve been having so much fun leafing through them and getting some inspiration. As my dad was flipping through the Best of Bridge cookbook, he happened upon an asparagus pasta salad with classic caesar dressing. I have a tahini caesar salad dressing that I love, so I took that recipe and created an inspired take with roasted asparagus instead of boiled, along with roasted peppers, cucumber, celery, almonds, basil, and parsley. We enjoyed this for dinner the other night with baked tofu and man, it was delightful! Packed with flavour and colour, and a great way to enjoy the last of the local asparagus.
Of course, if you don’t have any asparagus, just use whichever vegetables are in season. Zucchini or broccoli would also be great in its place!
Asparagus Tahini Caesar Pasta Salad: The Details
This salad is quick and easy to prepare, consisting of roasted asparagus and bell peppers, pasta, tahini caesar dressing, raw veggies and herbs, and almonds. I sprinkled on some of my Cashew Hemp Parmesan at the end because I had some on hand and that really tied everything together perfectly; I highly recommend it! Or, if you eat dairy, grate some pecorino or parmesan on top.
ingredients you’ll need
For the roasted asparagus and bell peppers, you’ll need asparagus, bell peppers, extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
For the tahini caesar dressing, you’ll need tahini, lemon juice and zest, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, nutritional yeast, capers, Worcestershire sauce, dijon mustard, sea salt, pepper, and water.
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For putting together the salad, you’ll need almonds, parsley, basil, green onion, cucumber, celery, and the nut parmesan or real pecorino/parmesan.
the method
Roast the asparagus and peppers: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the chopped peppers on a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with ¾ tablespoon of olive oil and add a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss to coat and roast for 18 minutes. Place the asparagus on a second large rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with the remaining ¾ tablespoon of olive oil and add a pinch of salt and pepper. Rub the oil into the asparagus spears so that each one is evenly coated with oil. Roast for just 8-10 minutes, until bright green but not soggy. Set aside.
Meanwhile, make the tahini caesar dressing: In an upright blender, combine the water, tahini, lemon juice and zest, oil, garlic, nutritional yeast, capers, Worcestershire sauce, dijon mustard, sea salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth and pour into an airtight jar. Note: This makes 16 oz of dressing. You probably won’t need all of the dressing initially, but it’s nice to have extra on hand to enjoy with leftover pasta salad or on other salads throughout the week.
Prepare everything else: Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. Drain and place in a large salad bowl. Add the roasted peppers, cucumber, celery, green onion, toasted almonds, parsley, and basil. Gently toss. Top with the asparagus, leaving it off to one side of the bowl (see photos for reference) for pretty presentation. Drizzle desired amount of dressing over top, or serve up individual portions and then drizzle each one with the dressing.
And that’s all there is to it! I hope that you love this salad as much as we do!
more pasta recipes
- Creamy Goat Cheese Lemon Pasta with Green Peas, Artichokes and Leeks
- Cilantro Jalapeno Avocado Pesto Pasta with Corn and Beans
- Vegan Eggplant Parmesan Pasta (With Chickpea Flour)
Well, that’s all I have to share until Monday. Coming up this week, I’ll be sharing the following recipes: White Bean, Spinach, and Feta “Meatball” Bowls with Lemon Olive Quinoa; Strawberry Oat Flour Biscuit Shortcakes; Cherry Chia Pudding Parfaits; Kale Caesar and Tofu Pitas; and a couple of CSA-inspired recipes, too! Until then, I hope that you love this Asparagus Tahini Caesar Pasta Salad. If you make it, let me know how you enjoyed it by leaving a comment and rating below the post. And if you share a photo to Instagram, tag it @upbeet.kitchen and #upbeetkitchen. I love hearing from you!
Enjoy!
Asparagus Tahini Caesar Pasta Salad (Vegan)
- Total Time: 38 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This asparagus tahini caesar pasta salad combines roasted asparagus and bell peppers with pasta, cucumber, celery, almonds, and a deliciously tangy and garlicky tahini caesar dressing.
Ingredients
Roasted Peppers and Asparagus
- 2 red, orange, or yellow bell peppers, cored and roughly chopped
- 1 pound asparagus, tough ends broken off
- 1 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Tahini Caesar Dressing (Makes Extra)
- ½ cup water
- ¾ cup tahini
- Zest of 1 organic lemon
- ½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 2 large lemons- see note)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2–3 large garlic cloves (depending on how much you love garlic)
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoons capers
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce (ensure it is vegan if that is important to you)
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Everything Else
- 1 pound spelt rotini or fusilli
- ⅓ cup toasted almonds, chopped
- 2 celery ribs, diced
- ½ of an English cucumber, diced
- 1 cup Italian parsley, finely chopped
- ½ cup basil, finely chopped
- 4 green onions, sliced
- Cashew Hemp Parmesan or grated pecorino or parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Roast the asparagus and peppers: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the chopped peppers on a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with ¾ tablespoon of olive oil and add a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss to coat and roast for 18 minutes. Place the asparagus on a second large rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with the remaining ¾ tablespoon of olive oil and add a pinch of salt and pepper. Rub the oil into the asparagus spears so that each one is evenly coated with oil. Roast for just 8-10 minutes, until bright green but not soggy. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, make the tahini caesar dressing: In an upright blender, combine the water, tahini, lemon juice and zest, oil, garlic, nutritional yeast, capers, Worcestershire sauce, dijon mustard, sea salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth and pour into an airtight jar. Note: This makes 16 oz of dressing. You probably won’t need all of the dressing initially, but it’s nice to have extra on hand to enjoy with leftover pasta salad or on other salads throughout the week.
- Prepare everything else: Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. Drain and place in a large salad bowl. Add the roasted peppers, cucumber, celery, green onion, toasted almonds, parsley, and basil. Gently toss. Top with the asparagus, leaving it off to one side of the bowl (see photos for reference) for pretty presentation. Drizzle desired amount of dressing over top, or serve up individual portions and then drizzle with each one with the dressing. Garnish with the parmesan, if desired.
Notes
You probably know by now that I love an acidic bite to my dressings and sauces. If you are not a huge lemon fan, start with less (say ¼ cup), and add more to taste.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Category: Main Course, Side Dish
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
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