Out West’s Lemon Arugula Pasta Salad

Out West’s Lemon Arugula Pasta Salad combines cellentani pasta, arugula, pine nuts and cherry tomatoes in a light lemon vinaigrette dressing.

This fresh and flavorful pasta salad skips the mayo and gets tossed in a light vinaigrette. The lemon juice in the dressing makes this salad light and refreshing and the cherry tomatoes add a pop of sweetness. Making it the perfect side dish for those Summer potluck parties.

This Lemon Arugula Pasta Salad is a take on one of my favorite pasta salad’s from the local grocery store. Originally with just spinach, pine nuts and parmesan. I added spicy arugula, sweet cherry tomatoes and lemon zest to make this pasta salad shine. It’s perfect served right away and even better served the next day.

Make this pasta salad a meal by adding protein. Grilled chicken or shrimp would be the perfect choice. If planning on adding a protein to the pasta salad, make a little extra dressing. You want to make sure every bit gets coated with that lemony dressing – no dry bites here! In fact, this dressing is my go-to dressing for most of my salads. Sometimes I add a little finely minced shallot and omit the parmesan. Make extra and store it in the refrigerator.

Ingredients in Out West’s Lemon Arugula Pasta Salad

• Cellentani Pasta – Cork-screw shaped pasta that’s super fun to eat.
• Arugula – A mix of arugula and spinach works well.
• Pine Nuts – Crunchy, yet buttery, they add a nice bite to this pasta salad.
• Cherry Tomatoes – Cherry or grape tomatoes cut in half for a burst of sweetness.
• Lemon – Pick a nice and juicy lemon for the zest and juice.
• Parmesan – Fresh grated parmesan in the dressing and more for garnish.
• Pantry Items – Dijon mustard, olive oil, minced garlic, agave syrup and salt/pepper.

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Out West’s Lemon Arugula Pasta Salad

Out West's Lemon Arugula Pasta Salad combines cellentani pasta, arugula, pine nuts and cherry tomatoes in a light lemon vinaigrette dressing.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American, Farmer’s Market

Servings 8

Ingredients

  

• 4 cups Cellentani pasta
• 2 cups arugula / spinach mix
• 1/2 cups pine nuts
• 10-15 cherry tomatoes halved
• 1 lemon zested
• 1/4 cup Parmesan grated

Dressing

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 2 tsp. agave syrup
• 1/4 cup Parmesan grated
• 1 pinch salt and pepper

Instructions

 

• Prepare the Cellentani pasta according to package directions. Rinse with cold water until completely cold. Drain well and pat dry, if necessary. Place in large mixing bowl.
• Prepare dressing by whisking all dressing ingredients together. Coat the prepared Cellentani pasta with all of the dressing.
• Fold in arugula/spinach mix, pine nuts and cherry tomatoes. Top with lemon zest and parmesan. Serve right away or refrigerate overnight for even more flavor.

Keyword No Mayo Pasta Salad