Lemon Pasta Salad (Printer-friendly)

Bright lemon and fresh veggies combine with pasta for a light, flavorful summer dish.

# Ingredient List:

→ Pasta

01 - 9 oz short pasta (fusilli, penne, or farfalle)
02 - 1 tsp salt (for pasta water)

→ Vegetables

03 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
04 - 1 cup cucumber, diced
05 - 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
06 - 1/2 cup yellow bell pepper, diced
07 - 1/4 cup kalamata olives, sliced (optional)

→ Cheese & Herbs

08 - 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
09 - 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
10 - 2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped

→ Lemon Dressing

11 - 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
12 - Zest of 1 lemon
13 - 3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
14 - 1 tsp Dijon mustard
15 - 1 clove garlic, minced
16 - 1/2 tsp honey or maple syrup
17 - 1/2 tsp sea salt
18 - 1/4 tsp black pepper

# How-To Steps:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool.
02 - While pasta cooks, halve cherry tomatoes, dice cucumber and bell pepper, finely chop red onion, slice olives if using, and chop parsley and basil.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled pasta with all prepared vegetables, olives, crumbled feta, parsley, and basil.
04 - Whisk together olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, honey, sea salt, and black pepper until emulsified.
05 - Pour the lemon dressing over the pasta mixture and toss gently to evenly coat all ingredients.
06 - Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in under thirty minutes, which means you can make it on a weeknight without exhaustion setting in.
  • The lemon dressing wakes up your whole mouth in a way that feels almost therapeutic on a sweltering day.
  • It tastes better the next day after the flavors have had time to get to know each other.
02 -
  • Rinsing the pasta with cold water is essential; warm pasta will wilt everything and turn your salad into mush.
  • Don't dress the salad more than a few hours ahead of serving or the vegetables will release their water and thin out your dressing, but thirty minutes ahead is actually ideal.
03 -
  • Make the dressing in a jar you can cover and shake; it emulsifies better with vigorous shaking than whisking, and you can store any leftovers right in the same jar.
  • Pat your cucumber dry before adding it to the salad if you cut it far in advance; excess water dilutes the dressing.
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