Farfalle Salad with Asparagus and Mushrooms

The asparagus has been gorgeous this year. Skinny and tender, it requires just the tiniest bit of steaming, then a hint of lemon and salt. Every time I would normally have a salad, I've been serving asparagus instead. I'm saving up some in the freezer for soup later, and I'm also trying to incorporate it in as many main dishes as possible. This week, I put it in pasta salad.

I'm sending this over to Ruth's Presto Pasta Nights hosted this week by Gillian of So So Simple Food.

Dressing:

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoon lemon juice

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 fat clove garlic, minced

Freshly ground black pepper

Whisk all ingredients together.

Salad:

5-6 ounces button mushrooms, sliced

8 ounces asparagus

8 ounces farfalle

3/4 cup sliced yellow bell pepper (about 1/2 a pepper)

1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion

1/4 cup minced parsley

3 large pepperoncini, stemmed, seeded, and minced

Toss the sliced mushrooms with 2 or 3 tablespoons of dressing and set aside. Snap the woody ends from the asparagus and cut into 1-1/2 to 2 inch pieces.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions. During the last 3 minutes of cooking time, add the asparagus and stir. Drain the pasta and asparagus. Toss with remaining salad dressing. Add the bell pepper, onion, parsley and pepperoncini and toss again.

Serves 4