A light and fresh pasta salad with lemon herb vinaigrette is the perfect pasta salad to make this summer.
Pasta salad has always been one of my favourite dishes. I didn’t grow up with the mayonnaise-heavy versions you often see at weekend barbecues, the kind my mom has always made has a delicious and tangy herbed dressing. I took inspiration from my mom’s pasta salad to create this lemony herb version.
Most pasta salads hold up pretty well in the fridge for a few days, but because this recipe uses spinach, I find that it’s best within the first two of days, otherwise the spinach will begin to get a little soggy. Another option would be to leave the spinach out until just before serving, that way you completely avoid the potentially soggy spinach situation.
The vinaigrette is super simple, a combination of garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, dried oregano, dried basil and olive oil. Of course there’s salt and pepper in there too, but that’s a given.
I love to serve this pasta salad as a side dish for pretty much any kind of barbecue, but I find it goes particularly well with Greek grilled chicken or grilled salmon.
It’s so easy to go overboard with the mix-ins for pasta salad, but for this recipe I wanted to keep it relatively simple, bell peppers are a given. I love the crunch they add here.
The first time I tested this recipe, I left out the red onion, but I found without the red onion, the pasta salad was missing a bit of zing. I’m a huge fan of olives, so I used some incredibly savoury and delicious Kalamata olives in here, but you could leave them out if you’re not a fan.
Feta and red onion makes up the rest of our cast of characters. And of course, pasta! I love penne in pasta salad because that’s what I grew up with, but I think bowtie pasta would be super cute here as well.
If you’re heading to any summer potlucks this year, this would be the perfect dish. It’s vegetarian, easy and a crowd pleaser. My Mediterranean pasta salad recipe is also a winner, if you want something a little different.
With this being our first long weekend and the ‘unofficial’ kickoff of summer, I feel like this is the perfect recipe to get you ready for summer cooking. Simple, fresh and flavourful, just the way I like it.
Pasta Salad with Lemon Herb Vinaigrette
Ingredients
For Lemon Herb Vinaigrette:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
For pasta salad:
- ½ lb penne pasta, 225g
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 small bell peppers, thinly sliced
- ½ cup crumbled feta
- ½ cup Kalamata olives, halved
- ¼ red onion, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions. In a small bowl or mason jar, combine all ingredients for lemon herb vinaigrette. Once pasta is cooked, drain and toss warm pasta with dressing to avoid it clumping together. Allow pasta to cool.
- In a large bowl, combine cooled, dressed pasta with spinach, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, feta, olives and red onion.
Notes
Let me know if you give this pasta salad with lemon herb vinaigrette a try in the comments below.
Mike B
Lovely salad, all the ingredients combined so well. The vinaigrette was one of the best I’ve ever tasted. P.S. I’d recently splashed out on a higher quality white wine vinegar, which could have helped a little. It’s worth the small extra spend.
Alicia
unbelievably delicious easy to make in minutes thank you💕
Louisa Clements
I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Alicia! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know, happy cooking!
Mandy
This is an Awesome Pasta Salad. Thanks 4 the recipe!
Louisa Clements
So glad you enjoyed this, Mandy! Thanks for taking the time to let me know.
Cheri Walker
12 tsp lemon zest??? Assuming you meant 1/2 tsp (12 tsp = 4 Tablespoons)
Louisa Clements
Hi Cheri–oops! You’re right, it should be 1/2 tsp–thanks for catching this. :) I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Kristina
Amazing dressing! Thanks for the recipe!
Louisa Clements
Glad you enjoyed it, Kristina! Thanks for letting me know.
Sarah
With summer coming up, I’m on the lookout for pasta salads to try. I love pasta salads but I tend to make the same one every time. This one looks delicious. Love all the colors of vegetables and how simple it all is. Going to give this one a try.
Louisa Clements
Thank you Sarah, I hope you enjoy!
Sarah
Yum, does this look good. I love pasta salads. I feel like I could eat them every day all summer long. Really loving the variety of ingredients and colors with this one. Will have to give it a try.
Louisa Clements
Thank you Sarah! This is my favourite way to eat pasta salad.