Spring Salads!

Warmer weather means spring salads; well, at least in my book.  With the abundance of fresh asparagus and salad greens this time of year, it's a no-brainer! I even made a "pasta salad", which I NEVER do, and it was heavenly! Try it out:

Spring Pasta Salad with Asparagus, Bacon & Feta 

adapted from a recipe by www.familyfreshcooking.com

8 ounces Ditalini pasta

asparagus, cut into 1/4 inch pieces, totaling about 2 cups

Feta cheese crumbles

several slices bacon, fried and crumbled (I used turkey bacon and cooked in the microwave)

lemon juice

olive oil

Ranch dressing

salt & pepper

Cook the pasta according to package directions. At the last minute or so, toss in the asparagus bits.  Drain the pasta and asparagus and toss into a large bowl.  Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice and toss to combine.  Add the feta and bacon, then drizzle with a little Ranch dressing.  Mix well and season to taste.  This tastes great warm and at room temperature. My girlfriend and I had seconds!  I did not try it chilled, but I'm thinking it would be pretty good, too!

Recently, I also threw together these pretty salads: the one above is arugula, raw asparagus, peas, avocado and hard boiled eggs tossed with a simple olive oil and lemon juice vinaigrette.  The salad below is made with a bag of mixed salad greens. raw asparagus, chickpeas and tomatoes, served with a Tuscan Italian dressing from the supermarket.  So pretty! So good for you! Happy Spring!