Published July 1, 1998.
Developing the best pasta salad recipe was tricky: While some acidity was clearly needed to brighten the flavor of the salad, too much caused the pasta to soften and dulled the vegetables, both in flavor and appearance. We liked lemon juice for contributing a nice bright flavor that was neither puckery nor sour. When we turned our attention to the vegetables, we discovered that, as we suspected, grilling and roasting added more flavor to most vegetables (broccoli and cauliflower being the exceptions) than blanching.
Chives work particularly well with the asparagus and peppers, but you can substitute fresh mint, parsley, or basil.
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