Description
A light and zesty pasta salad with fresh arugula and a vibrant lemon dressing, perfect for any gathering.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 oz pasta (farfalle, orzo, or your favorite short pasta)
- 3.5 oz fresh arugula
- ½ cup walnuts (finely chopped)
- ⅓ cup finely grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese
- 1 lemon (juice and zest)
- 8 Tb olive oil
- 1 Tb white balsamic vinegar
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 Tb capers + 1 tsp brine
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 6 basil leaves (chiffonade – optional)
Instructions
- Start by cooking your pasta in salted boiling water just until tender.
- Once finished, drain and rinse it under cold water.
- In a large bowl, whisk together lemon juice, lemon zest, white balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt, black pepper, capers, and walnuts.
- Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking until well combined.
- Add the cooled, rinsed pasta into the bowl and gently toss to coat.
- Finally, toss in the fresh arugula and basil.
Notes
This salad can be made a day in advance; just store it in an airtight container in the fridge. The flavors continue to develop!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Mixing
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 380mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 8g
- Cholesterol: 10mg