Lemon Pasta Salad Fresh (Printable)

Bright lemon pasta mixed with fresh veggies and a tangy dressing, ideal for warm-weather meals.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 9 oz short pasta (fusilli, penne, or farfalle)
02 - 1 tsp salt (for pasta water)

→ Vegetables

03 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
04 - 1 cup cucumber, diced
05 - 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
06 - 1/2 cup yellow bell pepper, diced
07 - 1/4 cup kalamata olives, sliced (optional)

→ Cheese & Herbs

08 - 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
09 - 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
10 - 2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped

→ Lemon Dressing

11 - 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
12 - Zest of 1 lemon
13 - 3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
14 - 1 tsp Dijon mustard
15 - 1 clove garlic, minced
16 - 1/2 tsp honey or maple syrup
17 - 1/2 tsp sea salt
18 - 1/4 tsp black pepper

# Directions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool.
02 - While the pasta cooks, halve cherry tomatoes, dice cucumber and yellow bell pepper, finely chop red onion, slice olives if using, and chop parsley and basil.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked pasta, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, bell pepper, olives, feta cheese, parsley, and basil.
04 - In a small bowl or jar, whisk together olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, honey, sea salt, and black pepper until emulsified.
05 - Pour the dressing over the pasta mixture. Toss gently to coat all ingredients evenly.
06 - Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes vibrant and alive, somehow both light and satisfying in a way that makes you want another bite.
  • Everything comes together in about 25 minutes, and most of that is just waiting for water to boil.
  • It actually gets better as it sits, so you can make it ahead without any stress.
02 -
  • Don't skip the cold water rinse on the pasta or it'll clump together and absorb all the dressing unevenly—I learned this the hard way the first three times.
  • The feta will soften and almost melt into creamy pockets as it sits, which is the whole magic of letting it chill.
03 -
  • Zest your lemon before you juice it, or you'll end up with half a lemon that's impossible to zest and it genuinely matters for flavor.
  • If your dressing breaks and looks separated, add a tiny bit of water and whisk vigorously and it'll usually come back together.
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