Lemon Vinaigrette Pasta Salad (Printable)

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

# What You'll 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 crumbled feta cheese
14 - 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts

# Method:

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

# Expert Pointers:

01 -
  • The lemon vinaigrette is so bright and clean that it makes everything taste alive in a way bottled dressings never can.
  • It actually gets better as it sits, so you can make it ahead without stress—perfect for meal prep or those days when you're feeding people on short notice.
  • There's barely any cooking involved, which means your kitchen stays cool and your hands stay relatively clean.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the pasta under cold water or you'll end up with a starchy, gluey salad that doesn't absorb the vinaigrette properly.
  • The Dijon mustard is what keeps this from being a pool of oil at the bottom of the bowl—it emulsifies everything and makes the dressing actually coat the pasta instead of sliding off.
  • Taste the vinaigrette before adding the pasta because once you've mixed everything together, it's much harder to balance the acidity and salt.
03 -
  • Toast your own pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for about three minutes—you'll taste the difference immediately and it costs almost nothing.
  • If your lemon isn't juicy enough, microwave it for twenty seconds before you cut it in half and squeeze—warm citrus gives up its juice more willingly.
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