Springtime Pasta Salad

Recipes by Chef Gerard Viverito

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients:
1 small shallot, finely chopped
2 oz extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound asparagus, thin spears
1 cup green spring peas
1 cup fava beans [fresh, shucked]
2 ea endive, cored and julienned
1 ea red bell pepper, small dice
.5 cup chopped flat- leaf parsley, a couple of handfuls
1 pound penne
3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tsp Agave Syrup
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 packets Natrol^® Carb Intercept^® Sprinkles

Directions
Pour vinegar into a small bowl and whisk in cooled shallot oil. Pour dressing over salad and toss. Season salad with salt and pepper, to your taste and toss again.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat, adding 1 tablespoon of salt per quart of water.

Blanch the peas, asparagus and fava beans for 5 minutes, less if smaller, then lift them out of the simmering water and plunge them into an ice water bath. Drain, pat dry and set aside. Cut asparagus into 1-inch pieces on an angle and add to a bowl. Pop the fava beans out of their skins and reserve the beans.

Combine chopped, cooked asparagus with endive, red bell pepper, cooked pasta, green peas, favas and chopped parsley.

Heat shallot and oil in in a small pan on the stovetop over medium low heat for 5 minutes. Allow oil to cool back to room temperature.
Pour vinegar into a small bowl and whisk in agave and cooled shallot oil. Pour dressing over salad and mix. Season salad with salt and pepper to taste.

Sprinkle one packet of Natrol^® Carb Intercept^® Sprinkles on each serving