Quick Lemon Arugula Pasta Salad (Printable Version)

Zesty, refreshing pasta with peppery arugula and bright lemon

# Ingredient List:

→ Pasta

01 - 9 oz short pasta (penne, fusilli, or farfalle)

→ Greens & Vegetables

02 - 3 cups fresh arugula
03 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
04 - 1 small cucumber, diced
05 - 1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced

→ Dressing

06 - Zest and juice of 1 large lemon
07 - 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
08 - 1 garlic clove, minced
09 - 1 tsp honey or agave syrup
10 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Toppings

11 - 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)
12 - 2 tbsp toasted pine nuts or slivered almonds (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Boil pasta in salted water until al dente per package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water to halt cooking process.
02 - Whisk lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, minced garlic, honey, salt, and pepper in serving bowl until emulsified.
03 - Add cooked pasta, arugula, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and red onion to bowl. Toss gently to coat evenly with dressing.
04 - Garnish with crumbled feta and toasted pine nuts if desired. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 2 hours before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's the rare pasta salad that actually gets better as the flavors marry, so lunch tomorrow might outshine dinner tonight
  • The dressing comes together in thirty seconds flat and you probably have everything in your pantry right now
02 -
  • Rinse the pasta thoroughly under cold water or it'll keep cooking and turn into a gummy mess
  • The arugula looks wilted at first but stays perfectly perky once dressed so don't panic
03 -
  • Toasted nuts make a huge difference so take the extra two minutes to toast them in a dry pan over medium heat
  • Taste and adjust the seasoning before serving because pasta really soaks up that salt

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