Is this spring vegetable pasta salad recipe good as a make-ahead meal?

Absolutely! And it can be served cold or heated up and served warm. This makes it perfect for taking to picnics, potlucks, or simply making in advance for dinner if you have a busy day ahead.

Can you make gluten free pasta salads with vegetables?

You can use gluten-free pasta like rotini for this spring vegetable pasta salad. Make sure you fully cook the pasta (just past al dente) so that it doesn’t get crunchy and dried out when refrigerated.

Can you freeze pasta salad with spring vegetables?

I don’t recommend freezing this salad once it’s prepared, but you can freeze the pasta ahead of time and thaw it when you’re ready to make this salad. Here’s my tutorial for how to freeze cooked pasta .

Easy Spring Vegetable Pasta Salad | 1-Pot Make Ahead Meal!

Spring Vegetable Pasta Salad

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This easy spring vegetable pasta salad is perfect for picnics or as a side for your warm-weather favorites. Spring veggies like peas and asparagus combine with bacon, pasta, chicken stock, and sour cream for a creamy pasta salad that’s delicious warm or cold.

Author: Tiffany
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 6 servings 1x
Category: Soup & Salad
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale

8 oz bacon, cut into ½-1″ strips (224g)
3 large garlic cloves, minced or pressed (9g)
3 cups chicken stock/broth (homemade if you can) (720g)
8 oz dry penne or other small pasta (224g)
1 ½ cup frozen English peas (240g)
Tips from 1 bunch of asparagus
½ cup sour cream or creme fraiche (115g)
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Grated Parmesan to serve

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Instructions

In a large skillet, cook the bacon until crisp. Transfer cooked bacon to a plate, leaving drippings in the pan.
Add the pressed garlic to the pan with hot bacon drippings and cook, stirring often, for 1-2 minutes.
Add the chicken stock and bring it to a boil. Add the dry pasta. Reduce heat to low-medium, cover skillet, and cook until al dente (8-10 min).
Add the frozen peas and asparagus tips. Cook for a few minutes until both are bright green and al dente.
Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste.
Gently stir in sour cream and cooked bacon. Season with additional sea salt and pepper if needed.
Top with grated Parmesan just before serving.

Notes

This make ahead pasta salad can be served hot or cold.
Serves 6 as a light main dish, or 8 as a side dish.

Recipe adapted from Taste and Tell

Find it online: https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/spring-vegetable-pasta-salad/