Posted Jun 03, 2022, Updated Aug 01, 2024 We make pasta salad all the time in the warmer months (like this Italian pasta salad and caprese pasta salad). I wanted a bright and lemony version so I created this summer pasta salad which has quickly become one of our favorites. Pasta and in-season summer veggies are tossed in a homemade lemon dressing and garnished with fresh dill. Everything delicious about summer in one bowl! Serve it alongside your favorite BBQ dishes for a healthy and delicious side dish to feed a crowd. Or, eat it by itself for a veggie-forward main dish.
Lemon Pasta Salad: Ingredients & Substitutions
Penne pasta. any shape of pasta can be used in this recipe. Our favorites include (but are not limited to): fusilli, farfalle (bowties), gemelli, and rotelle (wheels). Vegetables. this summer pasta salad recipe calls for cucumbers, baby tomatoes and bell peppers. Feel free to use your favorite veggies. Some suggestions include: blanched broccoli, zucchini, peas, corn, avocado, shredded carrots, heirloom tomatoes, Roma tomatoes, etc. Olive oil. avocado oil is a good substitute for olive oil. Red onion. any onion variety works well. Aside from red, yellow and white are good choices. Fresh dill. freeze-dried dill can be used in place of fresh, but I suggest fresh if you can. Mustard. we use Dijon, any variety works well. Parmesan cheese. feta cheese, goat cheese and fresh mozzarella all taste great in this summer pastas salad. Lemon juice. fresh or bottled both work great. Honey. maple syrup or granulated sugar are good substitutes for honey.
How to Make Summer Pasta Salad
This summer pasta salad is very easy to make. Especially if you cook the pasta in advance so it has plenty of time to cool. The most time-consuming piece of this recipe is chopping all the veggies – which can also be done in advance.
Cook the Pasta
Since the pasta needs to cool before assembling this lemon pasta salad, cook it according to package instructions in salted water. Once cooked, drain the pasta but do not rinse. Stir it occasionally in the colander to help it cool.
Make the Dressing
While the pasta is cooking, make the dressing by whisking together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl until combined. Alternatively, you can add the ingredients to a glass jar and shake it to combine.. Set it aside.
Assemble
In a large bowl combine pasta, veggies, onion and half of the dressing, parmesan cheese and fresh dill and stir to combine. Save the rest of the dressing. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. When ready to serve, toss with remaining dressing. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
Serve
Garnish the summer pasta salad with fresh dill and extra parmesan cheese and serve chilled with your favorite main dish. Here are some suggestions:
Serve it alongside you favorite grilled entrees like BBQ chicken, chicken satay skewers, marinaded flank steak, hamburgers (with homemade burger buns), and lemon chicken kebabs. We like to enjoy pasta salad alongside BBQ chicken sandwiches, egg salad sandwiches, chicken salad, etc. Or serve it with your favorite BBQ sides like cucumber salad, 3 bean salad, and broccoli salad.
Store
Store leftover lemon pasta salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I don’ recommend freezing this recipe. If you make and love our recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along with us on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so we can see your creations!
