Italian Lemon Chicken Bowtie Pasta Salad

Directions

1. Put your pasta on to boil in salt water. Mix the dressing of lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, lemon pepper and garlic in a bowl with a whisk. Place the chopped onion and celery in a bowl and sprinkle well with salt--this should sit about 10 minutes to draw out some of the water, which will give it a slight softer texture. After 10 minutes, rinse and toss into a large mixing bowl.
2. . The asparagus should be fresh and green, not wilted--cut the bundle into thirds, place the pieces in a medium-sized pot and open the can of chicken--pour the chicken stock over the asparagus and add enough water to barely cover it, then a pinch of salt. Bring up to a simmer on medium heat and cook for no longer than 7 minutes--you want the asparagus done, but still firm. After the asparagus has finished lightly cooking, pour it into a strainer and rinse with cool water, set aside. Drain the pasta when done--again, you want it firm, not mushy--rinse with cold water.
3. Add pasta, asparagus, and chopped tomatoes to the bowl with the celery and onions, pour the dressing over it and toss until it's distributed throughout. You can eat this pasta salad now, or chill for an hour for even better flavor.I serve it with stir-fried squash & zucchini and vegetable crackers.