Texture, flavor, creamy and make-ahead easy, Lemon-Dijon Asparagus and Pea Macaroni Salad is packed with veggies and is a welcomed summer and spring pasta salad at picnics, BBQs and potlucks. Cooking the pasta, then blanching the asparagus and peas in one pot means clean up’s a snap! This recipe comes together in about 30 minutes, and is a community favorite.
this post was updated May 2026 to include new step by step photos and tips. the original recipe is unchanged.
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!
I’m all in for classic pasta salads, but wanted something a little more veggie forward to share with y’all. To create a new pasta salad, I included spring and early summer veggies with plenty of fresh herbs, sun-dried tomatoes for pops of bold flavor and texture and an ultra creamy lemony dressing for a winning combination.
While this is a pasta salad I return to every year, more importantly, this macaroni salad with peas and asparagus has become a reader favorite! 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 little crunch from the asparagus
- veggie packed
If you enjoy hearty seasonally inspired hearty dinner salad recipes, you’ll enjoy this asparagus macaroni salad.
“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. “
Tracy
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How to Make Asparagus and Pea Macaroni Salad
step by step
This peas and asparagus pasta salad is a lip smackin’, texture rich creamy macaroni salad that’s ideal for sharing. It’s easy to pull together too, requiring only one pot to cook the pasta, asparagus and peas. Whip the dressing up while the pasta and veggies chill in the fridge, dress, toss 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 a few recipes I love sharing this pasta salad with:
Traci’s Tips
- Make it Gluten Free or Gluten Full: Use your favorite pasta in this creamy macaroni salad recipe, gluten free or not.
- 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!
- 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. But I find the vibrant green colors diminish on day two.
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 1 – 1 1/4 inch 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, about 1/3 cup (see note** – adjust to taste)
- 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). Â
- 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 in the refrigerator. The vibrant green color of the veggies is best on the day the salad is made.Â
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.Â
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
Made it? Leave a comment below!
The most helpful comment may include recipe rating, feedback, any modifications or helping other commentors.
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!