Spring Pasta Salad

Name: Spring Pasta Salad
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 8 ounces medium sized pasta (try bow tie, fussilli, or penne); 3 carrots (chopped); 2 cups strawberries (sliced); 1 mango (pit removed, diced); 2 mandarins (peeled and seperated); 1 small bunch of greens {I used spinach but use whatever you like} (washed, trimmed, chopped); 1 large bell pepper (diced {I used a mixture of red, yellow and orange}); 1/2 cup sunflower seeds; 1/2 cup dried cranberries; zest of half the lemon; 1/4 cup fresh parsley (chopped); 1/4 cup fresh mint (chopped); 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil; 2 lemons (juiced {about 1/4 cup}); 1/4 cup honey

This Spring Pasta Salad is packed with fresh, bright and healthy ingredients to create the perfect dish for your spring brunch, Mother's Day or a warm weather get-together.

Prep20 min
Cook10 min
Total30 min
Makes8 servings
Calories390

Ingredients

8 servings

8 ounces medium sized pasta (try bow tie, fussilli, or penne)
3 carrots (chopped)
2 cups strawberries (sliced)
1 mango (pit removed, diced)
2 mandarins (peeled and seperated)
1 small bunch of greens {I used spinach but use whatever you like} (washed, trimmed, chopped)
1 large bell pepper (diced {I used a mixture of red, yellow and orange})
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup dried cranberries
zest of half the lemon
1/4 cup fresh parsley (chopped)
1/4 cup fresh mint (chopped)

Lemon Honey Dressing:

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 lemons (juiced {about 1/4 cup})
1/4 cup honey

Method

1
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente; drain, then rinse with cold water to cool.
2
In a large bowl, combine pasta, carrots, strawberries, mango, mandarins, greens, bell pepper, fresh mint, parsley, sunflower seeds and the dried cranberries and stir well to combine.
3
In a large mason jar or salad dressing container combine the olive oil, lemon and honey and shake or whisk until it is mixed together.
4
Pour half of the dressing over the pasta salad and gently stir to combine.
5
Add the parsley, mint and lemon zest stir again. Taste and adjust salt, pepper and more dressing if you like. Refrigerate until you are ready to serve.

Notes

I like to keep the other half of the dressing to add more to the salad when I am ready to serve it. The first part of the dressing gets soaked into the salad if you refrigerate it. Feel free to add additional ingredients. Some ideas: grilled meats, avocado, white beans, chickpeas, feta cheese, zucchini, cauliflower, other dried fruit or nuts of your choice and other fresh herbs. I also like to add a poppy seed dressing to this if I don't want to make my own.