The ingredients are very basic, so a good bit of the final flavor relies on the salt and pepper seasoning. Too much will overpower, too little will disappear. I found the plated salad delicious warm or cold.
Mark Guydish | Times Leader
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The salad as called for in the recipe. The only thing I would do different next time would be to halve the cooked potatoes and season them separately — just like the pasta — with a little oil, salt and pepper.
Mark Guydish | Times Leader
While we liked the pasta-potato-asparagus salad a lot as is, I did opt to add some shrimp marinated in an olive oil, crushed garlic and brown sugar mix before a quick saute.
Mark Guydish | Times Leader
Thought about cooking last Friday; decided it was hot enough to go for a pasta salad. I reached for my trusty Pasta & Pizza Presto book by Maxxine Clarke and Shirley Gill, and while I saw others I’m eager to try, I opted for this one for the simplicity.
This can not only be a one-pot meal, you could use the same pot and the same water if you scoop the pasta and potatoes out with a slotted spoon rather than draining each into a colander and refilling the pot with fresh water to bring to a boil. Alas, it does require boiling water for about a half-hour total, so it will make your kitchen a bit hot and humid for a while, but it still beats firing up the oven and a couple burners for something more complex.
Aside from whatever the main ingredients (pasta, taters and asparagus) bring to the dish, all the flavor comes from the oil, salt, pepper and Parmesan. I worried about it being bland, but it came out surprisingly flavorful for such simplicity. That said, I do recommend seasoning the pasta a bit, tasting it and seasoning again until you hit whatever your sweet spot is.
The only thing I’d change next time would be to halve the new potatoes, either before cooking or after, and season them separately with oil, salt and pepper before mixing with the pasta.
The salad has a subtle enough flavor to complement most things you might think about adding, like a meat for more protein or some hard-boiled egg slices. I opted to finish it with some shrimp I marinated in an impromptu mix of olive oil, brown sugar and two cloves crushed garlic, sauteed till pink.
Dobru Chut!
Pasta, Asparagus and Potato Salad with Parmesan (Pasta and Pizza Presto)
½ pound whole wheat pasta shapes
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
12 ounces baby new potatoes
½ pound fresh asparagus
¼ pound fresh parmesan cheese, shaved.
Cook the pasta in boiling salted water according to directions. Drain well and toss with the olive oil, salt and pepper while still warm.
Wash the potatoes and cook in boiling salted water for 12-15 minutes or until tender. Drain and toss with the salad.
Trim woody ends from asparagus and half longer stalks. Blanch in boiling salted water for 6 minutes until bright green and still crunchy. Drain, then plunge into cold water to stop the cooking and let cool. Dry on paper towels.
Toss the asparagus with the potatoes and pasta, season and transfer to a shallow bowl. Shave Parmesan cheese over the salad.
Reach Mark Guydish at 570-991-6112 or on Twitter @TLMarkGuydish
