Lemon Pasta Salad (Printable Version)

Bright and tangy pasta with fresh vegetables and lemon dressing, ideal for warm days and gatherings.

# What You'll Need:

→ 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

# Steps:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool.
02 - While pasta is cooking, halve cherry tomatoes, dice cucumber and yellow bell pepper, finely chop red onion, slice olives if using, and chop parsley and basil.
03 - In a large bowl, mix cooled pasta with cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, bell pepper, 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 in a small bowl or jar until emulsified.
05 - Pour dressing over salad and toss gently to coat evenly.
06 - Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to enhance flavors.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than you'd think, which means you can actually make it on a weeknight instead of just when you're hosting.
  • The lemon dressing tastes bright and sophisticated without requiring any fancy ingredients or techniques.
  • It's endlessly forgiving—swap vegetables based on what's in your crisper drawer and it still works beautifully.
02 -
  • Don't dress the salad more than a few hours ahead or the pasta will turn mushy and the vegetables will weep; add the dressing no more than half a day before serving.
  • If the salad looks dry when you're ready to eat it, whisk together a little more olive oil and lemon juice rather than adding more dressing straight—the pasta keeps absorbing liquid.
03 -
  • Make the dressing while the pasta cooks so everything's ready to combine as soon as things cool down.
  • If you forget to chill the pasta and it's still warm, toss it with a handful of ice cubes for a minute to bring the temperature down without diluting it with water.
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