Quick Lemon Arugula Pasta Salad (Printable)
Bright and refreshing pasta with arugula, tomatoes, and zesty lemon dressing.
# What You Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 9 oz short pasta (penne, fusilli, or farfalle)
→ Greens & Vegetables
02 - 3 cups fresh arugula
03 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
04 - 1 small cucumber, diced
05 - 1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
→ Dressing
06 - Zest and juice of 1 large lemon
07 - 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
08 - 1 garlic clove, minced
09 - 1 tsp honey or agave syrup
10 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
→ Toppings
11 - 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)
12 - 2 tbsp toasted pine nuts or slivered almonds (optional)
# Steps:
01 - Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop cooking; set aside.
02 - In a large serving bowl, whisk together lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, minced garlic, honey, salt, and pepper to make the dressing.
03 - Add the cooked pasta, arugula, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and red onion to the bowl. Toss gently to coat everything in the dressing.
04 - Top salad with crumbled feta and toasted pine nuts if using. Serve immediately or chill for up to 2 hours before serving.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- This comes together in under 20 minutes, perfect for those evenings when cooking feels like too much but takeout feels wrong
- The lemon and arugula combination wakes up your palate like a cool breeze on a hot day
02 -
- I learned the hard way that adding dressing to hot pasta makes everything soggy and the arugula turns to mush
- The pasta absorbs more dressing as it sits, so make extra if you're planning to serve this later
03 -
- Toasting the nuts in a dry pan for just 2 minutes transforms them from bland to incredibly fragrant and adds a warm, nutty dimension that ties everything together
- Let the dressed pasta salad sit for 10 minutes before serving so the flavors have time to mingle and the pasta can absorb some of that bright dressing