Lemon Basil Pasta Salad
An easy and fresh pasta salad for summer. Make this lemon basil pasta salad for a healthy lunch or side dish, with some optional protein add-ons.
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Looking for a healthy, fresh, and easy pasta salad recipe? This lemon basil pasta salad is light, flavorful, and comes together in minutes—perfect for a quick summer side dish or meal prep lunch.
As a dietitian, I love this recipe for its bright flavors, simple ingredients, and versatility. A zesty lemon vinaigrette, sweet peas, and fresh basil make it refreshing, while parmesan adds a tasty savory touch. Scroll down to learn optional protein add-ins, storage tips, and a few easy swaps to fit your dietary needs.
Need more filling salad recipes? Try my chicken pesto pasta salad, Italian grinder bean salad, or quinoa edamame salad.
Why you’ll love this dietitian-made recipe
- Simple ingredients. You don’t need to buy expensive or hard-to-find ingredients to make this fresh and tasty lemon basil pasta salad.
- Full of veggies. This pasta salad contains green peas for fiber and a boost of plant protein, and I’ve included a tip to bump up the vegetable content even more.
- Low sugar. This recipe uses a simple and tasty homemade vinaigrette with way less sugar than store-bought options.
Ingredients in lemon basil pasta salad
Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions and ingredient quantities.
- Orecchiette pasta: If you can’t find this shape, any other small pasta will work like elbow macaroni, ditalini, orzo, or even farfalle (bowtie). For even more protein and fiber, choose chickpea pasta or lentil pasta.
- Frozen green peas: Simply thaw these and add to your lemon basil pasta salad.
- Grated parmesan: You could also add crumbled feta cheese if you’d prefer.
- Thinly sliced basil: It’s important to use fresh basil in this recipe for the brightest flavor.
- Lemon zest: This helps enhance the lemon flavor in the vinaigrette.
- Black pepper: Freshly ground black pepper works best, if you have it.
- Lemon vinaigrette: If you’re short on time, buy a lemon salad dressing from the store. If you want to make it yourself (it tastes way better!), you’ll need olive oil, fresh lemon juice, garlic, dijon mustard, honey, and salt.
Swaps for your dietary needs
More protein and fiber: Use chickpea or lentil pasta. I’ve also included some ideas for protein add-ons in the blog post below.
Gluten-free: Use a gluten-free chickpea or lentil pasta, or any gluten-free pasta you enjoy.
Dairy-free: Leave the parmesan out, and add a sprinkle of nutritional yeast instead.
Vegan: Follow the dairy-free swaps above, and substitute the honey in your vinaigrette with maple syrup.
Lower sodium: Cut the salt in half and use a little less parmesan, if desired.
Add extra veggies
Serve your lemon basil pasta salad over a big handful of greens like arugula (my personal favorite), baby spinach, or baby lettuces.
How to make lemon basil pasta salad
Step 1: Cook pasta in salted water, according to package directions. Drain and cool.
Step 2: In a small blender, combine all the vinaigrette ingredients and blend until smooth, about 20-seconds.
Step 3: To a large bowl, add cooked pasta, peas, parmesan, basil, pepper, and vinaigrette.
Step 4: Toss until everything is well coated in dressing. Serve as a side dish or with any protein of choice, and enjoy!
Protein add-ons
Enjoy your lemon basil pasta salad with one of these easy proteins to make it a balanced and filling meal.
- Chopped rotisserie chicken
- Cubed tofu
- Boiled eggs
- Canned tuna
- Canned salmon
- Leftover chicken thighs
Top tips
- Taste your dressing before assembling the salad. Taste your dressing and adjust seasonings, honey, or lemon juice as desired.
- Dress your pasta salad before storing leftovers. Leftovers will stay good in the fridge for up to four days, but they taste even better if the dressing has time to marinate.
- Add protein and/or fiber to make it a balanced meal. Use a chickpea or lentil pasta for extra nutrition, or top with any protein add-on from this blog post.
Frequently asked questions
One serving of this lemon basil pasta salad is about 1 cup. But, feel free to adjust the serving size to your hunger and nutritional needs.
No need to cook the peas! Simply let them de-frost for a few hours in the fridge, or about an hour on the counter. Drain them of excess liquid before adding to your pasta salad if needed.
I like using a blender for salad dressings because it makes them smooth and creamy without having to do too much whisking. But if you don’t have one, just whisk things in a bowl instead — you’ll just have to mince your garlic before preparing your dressing.
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Lemon Basil Pasta Salad
Ingredients
Pasta Salad
- ½ lb uncooked orecchiette pasta, about half a box
- 2 cups frozen green peas, thawed
- ⅓ cup grated parmesan
- ¼ cup thinly sliced basil
- 1 Tbsp lemon zest, from about 1 lemon
- fresh ground pepper, to taste
Lemon Vinaigrette
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice, about 1-1 1/2 lemons
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- ½ tsp honey
- 1 ½ tsp salt
Equipment
- small blender with blender cup optional (see instructions)
Instructions
- Cook pasta in salted water, according to package directions. Drain and cool.
- In a small blender, combine all the vinaigrette ingredients and blend until smooth, about 20-seconds. If you don't have a blender, mince garlic and whisk with other vinaigrette ingredients in a small bowl.
- To a large mixing bowl, add cooked pasta, peas, parmesan, basil, pepper, and vinaigrette. Toss until everything is well coated in dressing. Serve as a side dish or with protein of choice, and enjoy!
