Lemon Vinaigrette Pasta Salad (Printable)

Pasta tossed with lemon dressing, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, and herbs for a refreshing meal.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 9 oz short pasta such as fusilli, penne, or farfalle

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 medium cucumber, diced
03 - 1½ cups cherry tomatoes, halved
04 - 2 spring onions, thinly sliced
05 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

→ Lemon Vinaigrette

06 - 1 large lemon, zested and juiced
07 - 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
08 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
09 - 1 small garlic clove, finely minced
10 - ½ teaspoon honey, optional
11 - ½ teaspoon sea salt
12 - ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

→ Optional Additions

13 - ½ cup feta cheese, crumbled
14 - 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts

# Directions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente according to package directions. Drain in a colander and rinse under cool running water to stop the cooking process. Transfer to a serving bowl.
02 - In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together lemon juice, lemon zest, extra virgin olive oil, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, honey if using, sea salt, and black pepper until the mixture is emulsified and well combined.
03 - Add the cooled cooked pasta to the bowl with the vinaigrette. Toss gently and thoroughly to ensure all pasta pieces are evenly coated with the dressing.
04 - Fold in the diced cucumber, halved cherry tomatoes, sliced spring onions, and chopped fresh parsley. Toss all ingredients together until evenly distributed throughout the salad.
05 - If desired, fold in the crumbled feta cheese and toasted pine nuts. Taste the salad and adjust salt, pepper, and lemon juice as needed to balance flavors.
06 - Refrigerate the salad for at least 15 minutes before serving to allow flavors to meld. Serve chilled or at room temperature, depending on preference.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It actually tastes better after sitting in the fridge, so you can make it ahead and forget about it until dinner time.
  • The lemon vinaigrette is so bright and zesty that it makes you feel like you're eating something wholesome instead of just pasta salad.
  • It comes together in about thirty minutes, which means you can pull it together between work and an evening gathering without stress.
02 -
  • If you're making this more than a few hours ahead, keep the cucumber separate and stir it in right before serving—it gets waterlogged otherwise and changes the whole texture.
  • The lemon zest is doing real work here, not just decoration, so don't skip it even though it seems like a small thing.
03 -
  • Toast your own pine nuts in a dry skillet for two minutes if you're using them—store-bought toasted ones can taste stale, and the difference is honestly night and day.
  • Make your vinaigrette without the pasta first and taste it on its own, adjusting the lemon and salt until you'd happily drink it, because that's your starting point for everything else.
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