Summer Pasta Salad
This easy summer pasta salad is loaded with cucumbers, fresh garden tomatoes, herbs, and a tangy lemon dressing, it’s the perfect side salad for all your summer meals!
We’ve had a lot of hot weather and I haven’t felt like doing much cooking lately. I just picked a bunch of mini candyland red tomatoes from our garden so I threw together this tasty summer pasta salad to serve with dinner. I paired this quick and easy pasta salad recipe with some corn on the cob and steak. We all enjoyed the salad with dinner and my son finished off the last of it later in the evening.
Summer Pasta Salad
Lemon Vinaigrette:
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
- Zest from 1 lemon
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- 1-2 tsp white sugar, to taste
- 1 tsp shallot, minced
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
Pasta Salad:
- 8 oz fusilli pasta, cooked per package instructions
- ½ English cucumber, quartered
- 1 cup mini baby tomatoes
- 2 tbsp fresh dill fronds, chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
- Feta cheese, crumbled
- Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
How to Make a Summer Pasta Salad
Make the lemon vinaigrette by combining olive oil, fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, dijon, sugar, shallot, garlic, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper, to taste, together in a small glass jar. Seal with lid and shake to combine; set aside to allow flavors to mingle.
Cook the pasta in salted boiling water per package instructions until al dente. Drain the pasta and pour it into a large bowl.
Add half of the well-whisked vinaigrette and toss to coat evenly. Set aside to come to room temperature, about 20-30 minutes.
Make the pasta salad by adding the cucumber, baby tomatoes, dill, and parsley to the bowl. Drizzle with some of the remaining well-whisked vinaigrette to taste, and toss to coat evenly. Sprinkle with feta cheese crumbles. Taste & season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste, if needed.
Set aside for 15 minutes to allow flavors time to mingle. Toss, serve, and enjoy.
Equipment
Ingredients
Lemon Vinaigrette:
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
- Zest from 1 lemon
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- 1-2 tsp white sugar to taste
- 1 tsp shallot minced
- 1 clove of garlic minced
- Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
Pasta Salad:
- 8 oz fusilli pasta cooked per package instructions
- ½ English cucumber quartered
- 1 cup mini baby tomatoes
- 2 tbsp fresh dill fronds chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh cilantro chopped
- Feta cheese crumbled
- Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- Make the lemon vinaigrette by combining olive oil, fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, dijon, sugar, shallot, garlic, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper, to taste, together in a small glass jar. Seal with lid and shake to combine; set aside to allow flavors to mingle.
- Cook the pasta in salted boiling water per package instructions until al dente. Drain the pasta and pour it into a large bowl.
- Add half of the well-whisked vinaigrette and toss to coat evenly. Set aside to come to room temperature, about 20-30 minutes.
- Make the pasta salad by adding the cucumber, baby tomatoes, dill, and parsley to the bowl. Drizzle with some of the remaining well-whisked vinaigrette to taste, and toss to coat evenly. Sprinkle with feta cheese crumbles. Taste & season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste, if needed.
- Set aside for 15 minutes to allow flavors time to mingle. Toss, serve, and enjoy.
I really love those cute baby tomatoes.
When I first saw the red things, I thought they might be berries – I’ve not seen such small tomatoes. Hard to beat a nice pasta salad on a warm day especially when it contains feta.
Larry,
It’s the first time I’ve grown candyland reds but it won’t be my last. They are easy to grow, tiny, sweet, delicious, and packed with flavor. YUM!
-Pam