Roasted Asparagus Lemon Butter Pasta Salad

1 large bunch of fresh asparagus, about 14-16 spears

1 whole lemon, zested and juiced

450 grams pasta, cooked, drained, and cooled

½ cup green onions, sliced

1/2 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes, packed in oil

1/2 cup parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish

¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped, plus more for garnish

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons oil, from the jar of sun dried tomatoes

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon black sesame seeds for garnish, optional

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Wash and chop the asparagus into one-inch pieces. Toss them with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Spread them evenly on a baking sheet. Dot the asparagus with the butter. Roast for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
In the meantime, cook the pasta in salted water. Cool the pasta completely by running under cold water. This helps to remove the starch from the pasta.
Add the cooled pasta and asparagus to a large bowl. Add the sun dried tomatoes, the oil from the sun dried tomatoes, green onions, parmesan, parsley, lemon zest and juice, and the oil/butter mixture from the baking sheet. (Use a rubber spatula to scrape the oil and butter from the baking sheet into the bowl.) Toss all of these ingredients together. Season with more salt and pepper to suit your tastes.
Pile the pasta salad into a large serving bowl and garnish with sesame seeds, parsley, and more parmesan if you wish. Serve.
Pasta can be stored in air-tight containers in the refrigerator for up to three days.

This Article And Recipe Adapted From This Site