Spring Pasta Salad with Chicken Sausage, Asparagus, and Peas

Name: Spring Pasta Salad with Chicken Sausage, Asparagus, and Peas
Prep time: 10
Cook time: 15
Total time: 25
Yield: 1
Ingredients: extra-virgin olive oil; large lemon, juiced; tahini; maple syrup; ground turmeric; garlic powder; Pinch of salt; Pinch of red pepper flakes; bunch asparagus, cut on the bias into 1-inch pieces; frozen peas; short pasta, such as campanelle, fusilli, or orecchiette; olive oil; package The Sausage Project Italian Herb Chicken Sausage, diced; can chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and patted dry; chopped herbs (a mix of parsley, chives, and dill)

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 15 min | Servings: 1

Italian Herb

Pasta

Spring is a time of change. Flowers bloom. Animals become twitterpated. And pasta begins its slow transition from piping-hot soup ingredient to chilled vessel for spring produce. That’s right, friends — soup season might not be over, but pasta salad season is officially upon us, and we’ve got the perfect one to kick things off.

This spring pasta salad is loaded with some of our favorite seasonal ingredients. Crisp asparagus, sweet peas, and fresh herbs bring the brightness, while Italian Herb Chicken Sausage adds a savory kick thanks to its Calabrian pepper heat. Everything gets tossed in a bold dressing made with tahini, maple syrup, and plenty of lemon, then finished with chickpeas for extra protein and texture. The result is a pasta salad that’s a little spicy, a little sweet, and packed with fresh spring flavor in every bite.

See Recipe

A vibrant pasta salad made with asparagus, peas, and Italian Herb Chicken Sausage.

SERVING MULTIPLIER:

Ingredients

Dressing

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 large lemon, juiced

¼ cup tahini

2 teaspoons maple syrup

¼ teaspoon ground turmeric

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

Pinch of salt

Pinch of red pepper flakes

Pasta Salad

1 bunch asparagus, cut on the bias into 1-inch pieces

1 cup frozen peas

1 pound short pasta, such as campanelle, fusilli, or orecchiette

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 package The Sausage Project Italian Herb Chicken Sausage, diced

1 can chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and patted dry

⅓ cup chopped herbs (a mix of parsley, chives, and dill)

Instructions

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 15 min | Servings: 1

Make your dressing by whisking together the olive oil, lemon juice, tahini, maple syrup, turmeric, garlic powder, salt, and red pepper flakes. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the asparagus and cook for 2 minutes, until bright green and just tender. Remove with a slotted spoon or spider and transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Add the peas to the same water and simmer for 1 minute, until bright green, then transfer to the ice water.

Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to the package directions. Drain in a colander and set aside. While still warm, transfer the pasta to a large bowl and toss with the dressing.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and chickpeas and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and crisp, about 6 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Add the asparagus, peas, sausage, and chickpeas to the pasta and toss to combine. Taste and season with more salt if needed. Drizzle with a little more olive oil and fold in the herbs before serving.