Lemon Vinaigrette Pasta Salad (Printable)

Zesty pasta with cucumbers, tomatoes, and lemon dressing for a fresh, light summer dish.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

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

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 medium cucumber, diced
03 - 1.5 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 - 0.5 teaspoon honey, optional
11 - 0.5 teaspoon sea salt
12 - 0.25 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

→ Optional Toppings

13 - 0.5 cup feta cheese, crumbled
14 - 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts

# How to Make It:

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

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's the rare salad that actually tastes better after sitting in the fridge, as the flavors get to know each other overnight.
  • You can throw it together in under 30 minutes, making it ideal for last-minute invitations or when you're too tired to cook something complicated.
  • The lemon vinaigrette is so bright and alive that it makes the simplest vegetables feel like something special.
02 -
  • Don't skip the cooling step for the pasta—I learned this the hard way when I tossed warm pasta directly into the dressing and ended up with a mushy, sad salad instead of something crisp and lively.
  • The lemon zest is not optional, even though it seems redundant with the juice; that fragrant oil in the zest is where the real brightness lives.
03 -
  • Taste the vinaigrette on its own before you dress the salad—it should be bold and slightly over-seasoned because the pasta will mellow it out as they get acquainted.
  • Keep the lemon juice away from the fresh herbs until the last moment; citric acid can turn delicate herbs brown if they sit too long.
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