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pasta salad
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5 from 9 votes

Lemon Pasta Salad with Fresh Herbs

This lemon pasta salad is boasting with herbs garlic, and so many veggies. You will love bringing this to any get together!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Keyword: lemon pasta salad
Servings: 6
Author: Lee Funke

Ingredients

  • 8- oz. dried noodles
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt separated
  • 5 garlic cloves peeled and minced
  • cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • cup chopped fresh parsley
  • cup chopped fresh chives
  • cup chopped fresh dill
  • ½ large red onion sliced very thin (a mandolin works best)
  • 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
  • 1.5 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 1.5 teaspoons dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon mayo
  • Zest from one small lemon
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • cup crumbled feta cheese
  • cup toasted pine nuts
  • 4- oz. fresh English peas or frozen peas, thawed

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of salted water (like really salty) to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until the pasta is al dente.
  • Strain the pasta and rinse with cold water until the pasta is cold. Let the pasta sit in the strainer to let all excess water drip from the pasta.
  • Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a small skillet pan over medium/high heat.
  • When the olive oil is fragrant, add the minced garlic to the skillet. Sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon of salt and toss.
  • Sauté the garlic for 4-5 minutes or until the garlic just begins to brown. Remove from heat and pour the oil and garlic into a separated glass bowl to cool. Set aside.
  • Prepare the pasta salad dressing by adding the rice vinegar, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, dijon mustard, honey, and mayo to a bowl and whisk the ingredients together until they are combined and the honey has dissolved and is not sticking to the bottom of the bowl. Add the lemon zest and ½ teaspoon of salt to the dressing and whisk again.
  • Slowly drizzle the cooled sautéd garlic and olive oil into the dressing while whisking to combine the oil into the dressing.
  • Add the cooled pasta to a large mixing bowl. Drizzle the dressing over the pasta and toss until all of the pasta is coated in dressing.
  • Next, add all of the fresh herbs, red onion, peas, and remaining salt (if needed) to the bowl and toss again until combined.
  • Top the pasta salad with feta crumbles, toasted pine nuts, and freshly ground pepper.
  • Eat immediately or place in the refrigerator to cool.

Video

Notes

  • The point of sauteing the garlic in olive oil for the dressing is to create a “quick infused” garlic olive oil. Trust us, it’s worth it.
  • You can use any mixture of fresh herbs that you would like. Mint would be so good, too!
  • Remember to taste the dressing and pasta salad throughout the recipe to make sure you are adding enough salt.

Nutrition

Calories: 392kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 17g | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 8g