nutritional information

Per SERVING:

  • Calories: 190
  • Protein: 6 g
  • Total Fat: 6 g
  • Saturated Fat: 1 g
  • Carbohydrates: 31 g
  • Cholesterol: 5 mg
  • Sodium: 370 mg
  • Fiber: 4 g
  • Sugar: 5 g

Orange, Mint and Asparagus Pasta Salad

SERVES 8

Fresh mint, feta cheese and orange slices give this salad a light, refreshing tang. Steamed green beans, sugar snap peas or broccoli florets would also work well in place of the asparagus. 
  • 1 lb. asparagus, trimmed
  • 3 large navel oranges
  • 8 oz. campanelle pasta or other medium-sized pasta shape, cooked, rinsed and drained
  • 1 cup chopped scallions
  • ⅓ cup chopped fresh mint
  • 1 Tbs. white wine or cider vinegar
  • 2 Tbs. olive oil
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
  • ⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese
  1. Bring large pot of water to a rolling boil. Drop asparagus in water, return to a boil and remove from heat. Let asparagus stand in water 1 minute, then drain and rinse under cold water. Cut asparagus on diagonal into 1-inch pieces.
  2. Meanwhile, remove 4 Tbs. zest from oranges. Put 2 Tbs. zest in large bowl with asparagus, pasta, scallions and chopped mint. Toss well.
  3. Juice one navel orange. Whisk together remaining 2 Tbs. zest, 2 Tbs. orange juice, vinegar, oil, salt and pepper in small bowl. Stir dressing into pasta-asparagus mixture.
  4. Cut ends from remaining two oranges. Stand one orange on cutting board, and, using sharp paring knife, cut away pith from sides. Halve orange lengthwise, and lay two pieces on cutting board; cut each half in half. Slice 1/4-inch-thick fans from each orange piece. Repeat with second orange, and add fans and feta cheese to pasta mixture. Gently toss to combine. Chill one hour, or overnight. Retoss before serving.
April 2005

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comments

Orange-Mint Salad This salad was inspired by one of my kids commenting that ?oranges are so every day.? My mom remembers when oranges were a treat. I love oranges, so I wanted to make something a little different. I?m also enjoying using our abundant spearmint while it is still fresh from the garden. Thinly slice several spearmint leaves, to taste. Mix in some brown sugar, to taste. I used a bit too much for our tastes, about ½ T. Peel and chunk oranges. I used two California navels. You can see the effect of the brown sugar in the difference. This was sweet and tangy and not too juicy. My kids thought it was ?ok.? for more information http://holy-food.org/orange-mint-salad/

meigan1cameron - 2011-04-22 14:37:03