Lemon Summer Pasta Salad

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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 the 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

Make the Dressing

While the pasta is cooking, make the dressing by whisking 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

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:

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

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

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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 9 votes
Course Appetizer, Main Course, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 16 servings
Calories 195
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Chilling2 hours
Total Time2 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients 
 

  • 1 pound penne pasta (dry) (16 oz, 4 cups)
  • 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:

Instructions 

Cook The 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.

Make the Dressing (While Pasta is Cooking)

  • 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, Chill & Serve

  • 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 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: 0.5cup | Calories: 195kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 62mg | Potassium: 208mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 546IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Recipe Rating




9 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I made this dish and the dressing was delicious but I didn’t add enough. I want to make it again for a brunch and want to make it the day before – is that ok? Should I wait to dress the day of the event? Or partially dress night before. Should I put feta cheese in day of event so it doesn’t get mushy ?

    1. I save some dressing to toss it with right before serving. The cheese should not get mushy overnight but you can add it whenever you’d like!

  2. 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!