Texture, flavor, creamy and make-ahead easy, Lemon-Dijon Asparagus and Pea Macaroni Salad is packed with spring veggies and is a welcomed summer and spring pasta salad at picnics, BBQs and potlucks. This recipe comes together in about 30 minutes, is a community favorite!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Reader Review: “Yum! Didn’t have any chives so used spring onions instead. So quick and easy, will definitely be making again!” ~ Sienna
A Perfect Picnic Asparagus Pasta Salad
Y’ll know what time of year it is….
…BBQ, beach, camping, road trip and alfresco season (plus more!). So much to love about spring and summer, and with fresh produce making a showing at the farms and farmers markets, it’s also time for hearty salad recipes!
If you love homemade pasta salads, you’re going to enjoy this reader favorite macaroni salad! It goes so well with all your favorite mains like this Classic Black Bean Veggie Burger with Oats and my almost famous Artichoke Chickpea Vegan No-Crab Cakes.
To create a new classic pasta salad, I include spring and early summer veggies with plenty of fresh herbs. Add sundried tomatoes for pops of flavor and texture and an ultra creamy lemony dressing, this macaroni salad with peas and asparagus is the best pasta salad I’ve made yet. But if you’ve tried my Lemon Orzo Asparagus Pasta Salad, you may have two favorites now (wink)!
This Recipe Is
- simple to make in about 30 minutes
- tangy, with a lemon dijon dressing
- veggie Packed
If you enjoy hearty seasonally inspired hearty dinner salad recipes, you’ll enjoy this asparagus macaroni salad.
At a Glance: How to Make Asparagus and Pea Macaroni Salad
This asparagus macaroni salad comes together in about 30 minutes, with the pasta cooking water serving double duty cooking the asparagus and peas too! Be sure to check out the video on the recipe card to see how easy this recipe is to make.
- First, put the pasta on to boil. When the pasta is almost done, plunge the asparagus in with the pasta, then the peas so they can gently blanch. Drain and rinse. Toss into a large mixing bowl and chill.
- Next, make the dressing; whisk the mayo, lemon, dijon mustard, garlic salt and pepper.
- Last, add the sun dried tomatoes to the mixing bowl with fresh herbs and pour on the dressing. Mix and chill!
This peas and asparagus pasta salad is a lip smackin’, texture rich and creamy macaroni salad that’s ideal for sharing. It’s easy (something I rarely say when it comes to cooking) to pull together too, requiring only one pot to cook the pasta, asparagus and peas. Whip the dressing up while the pasta chills in the fridge and it’s ready.
What to Serve with Asparagus Pasta Salad
Peas and asparagus pasta salad can be shared along side just about any recipe you’d grill or share with BBQ sauce. Also, it makes a delicious pairing with sandwiches and lettuce wraps. Here are more recipes I love to share this pasta salad with:
Related: Do you love Meal Prep Ready Salads? Find more like this salad on my 12 Salad Recipes to Try This Summer round up!
Traci’s Tips
- Make it Gluten Free or Gluten Full: Use your favorite pasta in this creamy macaroni salad recipe, gluten free or not. My favorite gluten free pasta is Jovial brand. My favorite gluten full elbows is Field Day.
- Make it Vegan or Vegetarian: To keep this pasta salad with peas egg free, I like Vegenaise brand mayonnaise. However, feel free to use your favorite mayo!
- When cooking pasta, I find I almost always cook pasta longer than package directions indicate. See recipe notes about cooking the pasta in this recipe.
- Make ahead: this creamy macaroni and pea salad looks best on the day it’s made. Make it a day ahead if desired, however, it still tastes great. I find the vibrant green colors diminish on day two.
- Lemon: I absolutely love the vibrant lip-pucker taste of lemon and this recipe reflects that. If concerned about too much lemon, back off a bit in the dressing by omitting the zest and perhaps the additional 1/2 lemon juiced. It can be adjusted to taste after the dressing is mixed in with the salad.
Lemon-Dijon Asparagus and Pea Macaroni Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups (9.5 ounces / 265 grams) Elbow Macaroni Pasta* gluten free if needed (see note)
- 1 pound (480 grams) Fresh Asparagus , tough ends removed and sliced on the bias into bite size pieces
- 1 1/2 cups (200 grams) Frozen Peas
- 2/3 cup (120 grams) Sun-dried Tomatoes marinated, drained and chopped
- 1/3 cup (15 grams) Curly Parsley finely chopped
- 1/3 cup (10 grams) Chives finely chopped, add chive flowers too for garnish if available.
For the Dressing:
- 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoons (100 grams) Mayo I like Vegenase
- 1 1/2 Lemons – juiced + zest from one** (see note)
- 2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard
- 1 teaspoon Garlic minced or grated, about 2 large cloves
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Fine Sea Salt
- Plenty of Fresh Ground Pepper
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions (see note)*. During the last four minutes of cooking, drop the asparagus in with the pasta. During the last minute of cooking, add the peas.
- Carefully drain and rinse the pasta and veggies in a colander under cool running water, tossing as needed to completely cool.
- Transfer to pasta and veggies to a large mixing bowl, stir in the sun dried tomatoes and place in the refrigerator while mixing the dressing (see below).
- Once chilled, sprinkle with parsley, and chives then pour the dressing over the pasta salad, gently toss. Adjust lemon, salt and ground pepper to taste. Sprinkle with chive flowers if using and serve right away or store in a lidded container for up to four days. The vibrant green color of the veggies is best on the day the salad is made.
For the Dressing:
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the mayo, lemon zest (if using) and juice** (see notes), mustard, garlic, salt and fresh ground pepper.
Oh my goodness! This recipe is so good!!! I was searching for a simple salad to take to a potluck and this was it!! So bright and refreshing! I have fresh asparagus in my garden, so this was perfect. I did only use 1 lemon, and added fresh dill to the dressing, use rotini pasta I had on hand, and fresh tomatoes as I didn’t have sundried. So a few minor changes.
I sent this recipe to my mom and funny thing, she knows you! My brother build a house for you on Whidbey. Small world.
Love hearing this, Adrienne! Thank you for your note and giving the recipe a go. It IS a small world!
This is perhaps the best pasta salad I’ve ever made. It’s been the one my family and friends request each year, and has always gotten compliments from people who love the unexpected flavor pairings.
When there are leftovers, they are always claimed and divided amongst guests. If I want to have any for myself, I’ve had to put some aside before a gathering:)
Thank you for such a brilliant recipe!
Hi Annie! Thank you for your note and sending a smile. Thrilled to hear the pasta salad is a hit!
I’ve made this twice now. This is an easy salad to pull together and it’s good enough to take and share with others for a picnic or pot luck. Trader Joe’s often sells fresh peas which are a nice addition to this salad.
Love hearing this, Mary! Thank you for your note and fresh pea tip!
Tried this and it was delicious! Followed the recipe exactly! Yum 😋
Love hearing this, Pennie! Thank you for your note!
Love this recipe! I didn’t have sun dried tomatoes on hand, so used fresh cherry tomatoes, halved. Still delicious!
Hi Susan! Fresh cherry tomatoes sound so delish in this recipe. Thank you for your note and tip!
Yum! Didn’t have any chives so used spring onions instead. So quick and easy, will definitely be making again!
This was fantastic! I used GF shell pasta and cooked veggies in pasta water after the pasta since I wasn’t sure on timing. I added about 1/3 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese just before serving. Very yummy. Leftovers lacked the brightness in veggies but still good. Definitely make and serve same day for best taste and presentation.
Hi Lisa! Thank you for your note and coming back to share your tips. The parm sounds delish!
This was absolutely delicious! I can’t wait to take it to a potluck in summer!
So happy to hear, Linda! Thank you for your note and giving the salad a go!
Hi Tracy, this is a great recipe, but I hesitated at 2 TB dijon, even though I like mustard. Is that what you use or should it be 2 tsp? Thanks!
Hi Nicole! 2 tablespoons as written. If you’re not sure about the mustard, you can add it to taste. I hope you enjoy the salad!
Just made this for our lunch this afternoon. It tastes wonderful I’m not a fan of sun dried tomatoes so those were omitted. But wow, the flavor is wonderful. Thanks
Hi Barb! Thank you for your note and giving the salad a go.
Best mac salad ever! This recipe is perfect for our family with dietary restrictions (1 dairy allergy, 2 vegans and 1 gluten free). We use Veganese to keep it vegan and Banza pasta to keep it gluten free. This has become a favorite for family get-togethers.
Today, I didn’t have sun dried tomatoes or chives and substituted with fire roasted red peppers and green onion instead and it still turned out perfectly. If I could give this recipe 6 stars instead of 5 I would!
Thank you for this wonderful recipe – I’m so glad my DIL found your site ;)
Yum!
Hooray! Thank you for your five star review and giving the recipe a go!
I used fresh tarragon instead of chives, and substituted some salmon for the tomatoes. Made for a pretty gourmet side for our pool deck 4th of July meal. mayo/dijon/lemon — the dressing is perfection
Tarragon sounds delicious! What a delicious salad for a pool side party. SO happy y’all enjoyed the salad, Bridgette! Thank you for your note!
I used couscous instead of the elbow macaroni, as I had that on hand. Still delicious! Perfect spring salad for our Easter dinner!
Couscous sounds amazing, Tami! Thank you for sharing your tip!
I’m guessing the sun dried tomatoes go in with the dressing? I see them listed in the ingredients but not in the instructions.
Hi Laura! Oh my, I’m so sorry about that. Stir in the sun dried tomatoes after transferring the pasta and other veggies to the mixing bowl (I added it to step 3). Thank you for pointing that out! I hope you enjoy the salad!
This has become a staple in our home! I sub artichoke hearts instead of peas and add some of the oil from marinated sun dried tomatoes. It’s so yummy!
Hii Kat! Artichoke hearts sound amazing… I’ll give it a go! Thank you for your note, tips and making! SO happy to hear!
This turned out very good!…I added 2t of sugar to balance out the acid and blended it in a stand blender. I also added watermelon radish for the crunch factor and a pop of color. Everyone loved it… I will keep this in my go to stash of group recipes. Thanks so much for sharing it.
Hii Tracey! So happy to hear this will be a part of your group recipes – your note makes my day! The watermelon radish – what a delicious idea!!
This pasta salad is pretty simple to make and it’s quite tasty. I had very thin asparagus and they worked out great in this salad. I like my asparagus well cooked so I don’t think I would make this unless I could find the thin rods. I used the lemon zest and the juice and it was very tart so next time I make it I might add a tsp of honey to the dressing to balance it out for myself. It makes a good amount of salad so it’s great for a crowd. I made it to go along with BBQ ribs and it was a great combo.
Hi Virginia! SO happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe! The tsp of honey sounds like a lovely addition to balance the tart of the lemon. Thank you for coming back and leaving a note :D
I don’t usually write reviews for recipes but this was so delicious I had to leave a comment! I made x2 the dressing for an extra coverage and I love the fresh, tangy lemon flavour. I’m wondering if anyone has tried this recipe with added protein?
Hi Melissa! WOW! Thank you so much for your note and coming back and leaving a note! It totally makes my day! I’ve not seen a note about protein, but if you wanted to add some sunflower seeds, that would be delicious! For even more protein, try adding white beans or maybe even chickpeas. A double dose of dressing would be good if adding beans! Let us know how it goes!
I also loved this recipe! I added prosciutto and thought it was a nice, subtle flavor.
Hi Kerry! Thank you for your note and giving the salad a go. SO happy you enjoyed the recipe!
The dressing seems really salty. Does that balance out when tossed with the pasta? Thanks.
Hi Elisa! Thank you for your note. The salt does balance out once tossed with the pasta. However, if you’re concerned and you’ve not yet made the dressing, you can reduce the salt, then add to taste. I hope this helps!
I just discovered your website. I am happy to see the notes you write on this page tucked below the printable recipe.
This was an amazing salad. Big hit with my adult kids especially. I took your advice about cooking and draining the pasta and then cooking the veggies. It worked great but next time I won’t cook the peas. I’ll just let them thaw before adding. Thanks for sharing this since it is asparagus season. A definite keeper.
Hi Cindy! Thank you for your note and giving the recipe a go! SO happy to hear y’all enjoyed it!
This was so good and easy to make! I used penne and veganaise…loved it…thanks for another great recipe!
Hey Delin! Thank you so much for coming back and leaving a note! Hooray! Penne and veganaise is perfect!
Hi,
Can you substitute greek yogurt for mayo in this recipe without changing the flavor too much? I’m not a huge fan of mayo. Thank you.
Hi Sylvia! Although I’ve not tried it, you can certainly give it a go! The lemon in the dressing makes the mayo base tangy, so if you do try greek yogurt maybe back off a bit on the lemon, unless you really love that tangy flavor. If you try it, please let us know how it goes. I hope this helps!
I made this this afternoon for a get-together this evening and I have to say–this is going on my make for forever list. This is fantastic. And I’m a huge macaroni salad fan. I live in PA, and our macaroni salad is very yellow mustard and relish. And while I like it–I was raised on it after all–this is a fresh new take that will be an addition to my picnics for years to come. Thank you!
Hiii Tracy! Thank you so much for your note. I’m so happy to hear this and that it has found a place among your favorites. Hooray for many delicious picnics in the days to come! You’re most welcome!
Absolutely loved this salad. I think next time I will up the Mayo just a hair to make it a tad creamier.
You made it! So happy to hear, Claudia! And yes to more mayo please! Sometimes I’m not sure.. it’s such a personal thing. But I’m not shy to say how much I do love Mayo! Thank you for your note, Claudia!
Reading this post while munching on leftover Sesame Ginger Noodle Salad (ala Traci). I will be trying the Lemon-Dijon Asparagus salad this weekend. As always, thanks Traci!
Wow I made this tonight and it is soooo good! I will be making this again for sure!! I used half of the mayo and half light sour cream and some special mustard I had though, turned out perfect!
Oh my! Thank you for your note, Lori! The addition of sour cream… totally made my mouth water! YUM!
So ready for picnics to begin here-if only the rain will stop! When it does I’ll be ready with rhis new recipe. I’m usually the one bringing the salads so this is a welcome addition! Thanks, Traci!
I hope you enjoy this one, Jean… After the rain! Most welcome!