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    Home » Lemon Summer Pasta Salad

    Lemon Summer Pasta Salad

    Published: Jun 3, 2022 · Modified: Oct 9, 2022 by Laura · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe

    This summer pasta salad is bright and flavorful. A delicious homemade lemon dressing, fresh dill and in-season summer vegetables make this lemon pasta salad irresistibly delicious! The perfect BBQ side dish!

    Lemon Summer Pasta Salad in a large serving bowl

    We make pasta salad all the time in the warmer months (like this Italian 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.

    a bowl of Lemon Summer Pasta Salad with serving spoons

    Lemon Pasta Salad: Ingredients & Substitutions

    ingredients in this Lemon Summer Pasta Salad recipe
    • 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.
    a small bowl of lemon pasta salad with a fork

    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 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.

    cooking penne pasta to make Lemon Summer Pasta Salad

    While pasta is cooking make the dressing

    To make the lemon dressing, simply whisk 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.

    whisking the lemon dressing ingredients for this summer pasta salad

    Assemble the pasta salad

    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.

    two photos showing how to assemble this summer pasta salad

    When ready to serve, toss with remaining dressing. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.

    lemon pasta salad being stirred together in a large bowl

    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 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.
    Lemon Summer Pasta Salad in a large serving bowl garnished with dill

    Store

    Store leftover lemon pasta salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I don' recommend freezing this recipe.

    a fork taking a bite of this lemon pasta salad

    Recipe FAQs

    What is the best pasta shape for salad?

    These are our top choices: penne, fusilli, farfalle (bowties), gemelli, and rotelle (wheels).

    Should I make pasta salad the night before?

    You can make this salad the night before. Cover it and store in the refrigerator overnight.

    Why is my pasta salad dry?

    You need to make sure to use enough dressing so your pasta salad isn't dry. You can always add more if you want to change the consistency.

    How do you cool pasta down for pasta salad?

    Put it in a large bowl and stir it every couple minutes. Do NOT rinse with cold water.

    Do you rinse pasta when making pasta salad?

    No. Un-rinsed pasta absorbs dressing much better.

    a spoon taking a scoop of lemon pasta salad out of a bowl

    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 your creations!

    Lemon Summer Pasta Salad

    Laura
    This summer pasta salad is bright and flavorful. A delicious homemade lemon dressing, fresh dill and in-season summer vegetables make this lemon pasta salad irresistibly delicious! A perfect BBQ side dish!
    5 from 6 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved!
    Prep Time 20 mins
    Cook Time 15 mins
    Chilling 2 hrs
    Total Time 2 hrs 30 mins
    Course Appetizer, Main Course, Salad, Side Dish
    Cuisine American
    Servings 16 servings
    Calories 195 kcal

    Equipment

    • measuring spoons
    • measuring cups
    • spatula
    • mixing bowls

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 4 cups penne pasta (dry) (16 oz, 1 lb or 454 g)
    • 1 cucumber peeled and diced
    • 1 pint baby tomatoes halved
    • 1 red pepper diced
    • 1 green pepper diced
    • ½ cup red onion diced
    • fresh dill chopped
    • ½ cup parmesan cheese

    Lemon Dressing:

    • ½ cup olive oil
    • 6 TBS lemon juice
    • 2 tsp honey
    • 2 tsp Dijon mustard
    • 1 TBS minced garlic
    • Salt and pepper to taste

    Instructions
     

    Cook pasta:

    • Cook pasta according to package instructions in salted water. Drain and do not rinse. Let the pasta cool slightly before proceeding with the recipe.

    While pasta is cooking make the dressing:

    • Add dressing ingredients to a small bowl.
    • Whisk to combine.
    • Alternatively, you can add the ingredients to a glass jar and shake it to combine.
    • Set aside.

    Assemble the pasta salad

    • In a large bowl combine pasta, vegetables, onion and half of the dressing, parmesan cheese and fresh dill and stir to combine. Save the rest of the dressing.
    • Refrigerate for at least 1 2 hours.
    • When ready to serve, toss with remaining dressing. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
    • Garnish with fresh dill.

    Video

    Notes

    Ingredient 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.

    Store

    Store leftover lemon pasta salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I don' recommend freezing this recipe.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 0.5cupCalories: 195kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 5gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 62mgPotassium: 208mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 546IUVitamin C: 23mgCalcium: 53mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase a product through a link you clicked on here, I receive a portion of the sale. Thank you for supporting JoyFoodSunshine! 

    The photos in this post were taken by Nyssa from Nyssa's Kitchen.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jules

      August 19, 2022 at 6:29 pm

      5 stars
      So yummy,
      Made this tonight for a special lunch tomorrow. Smells amazing and summery (if that’s a word 😉 thanks for the great recipe!

      Reply
    2. Hannah

      July 01, 2022 at 6:16 pm

      5 stars
      Loved your Summer Pasta Salad and Blueberry Zucchini Bread!
      Thank you so much!

      Reply
      • Laura

        July 02, 2022 at 7:17 am

        Thank you Hannah!

        Reply

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    I’m Laura, a former chemistry teacher turned homeschooling mom of six beautiful babies! I create simple and delicious recipes that are tested and perfected to make cooking and baking joyful and fun!

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