Lemon Arugula Pasta Salad (Printable)

Zesty pasta with peppery arugula, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and lemon dressing. Ready in 20 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ 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)

# How To Cook:

01 - Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop cooking; set aside.
02 - In a large serving bowl, whisk together lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, minced garlic, honey, salt, and pepper to make the dressing.
03 - Add the cooked pasta, arugula, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and red onion to the bowl. Toss gently to coat everything in the dressing.
04 - Top salad with crumbled feta and toasted pine nuts if using. Serve immediately or chill for up to 2 hours before serving.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • Its ready in twenty minutes start to finish including pasta cooking time
  • The lemony dressing makes everything taste brighter and more alive
  • You can prep it ahead and it actually gets better after sitting in the fridge
02 -
  • Rinse the pasta thoroughly under cold water or itll keep cooking and get mushy
  • Let the salad sit for at least 15 minutes before serving so flavors can meld properly
03 -
  • Salt your pasta water aggressively since were not adding much salt elsewhere
  • Use a microplane for the lemon zest to avoid any bitter white pith

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