Lemon Vinaigrette Pasta Salad (Printable Version)

Zesty pasta tossed with cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, and lemon vinaigrette for a fresh summer dish.

# What You'll 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 Extras

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 water to stop the cooking process. Set aside.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, honey if using, salt, and pepper until the mixture emulsifies.
03 - Add the cooled pasta to the bowl with the vinaigrette. Toss gently to coat all pasta evenly with the dressing.
04 - Add diced cucumber, halved cherry tomatoes, sliced spring onions, and chopped parsley to the pasta. Toss thoroughly until all vegetables and pasta are evenly combined.
05 - If desired, fold in crumbled feta cheese and toasted pine nuts. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
06 - Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes before serving to allow flavors to meld. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in under thirty minutes, which means you can go from craving something fresh to eating it before the sun gets too hot.
  • The lemon vinaigrette is so good that you'll find yourself using it on everything from grilled vegetables to roasted chickpeas.
  • It actually tastes better the next day when the flavors have settled into the pasta, so meal prep becomes your secret weapon.
02 -
  • Rinsing the pasta is crucial—if you skip it, the residual starch makes everything gluey and dense instead of light and fresh.
  • Don't add the cucumber and tomatoes until you're ready to eat or serve, because their water content will weep into the dressing and dilute all that bright flavor you worked to build.
03 -
  • Toast your pine nuts yourself in a dry pan for two minutes—the difference between grocery store toasted and your kitchen toasted is worth the tiny bit of effort.
  • Zest the lemon before juicing it; once you've cut into it, getting clean zest becomes nearly impossible and you'll lose all that potent flavor.
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