Lemon Herb Spring Pasta Salad

This Lemon Herb Spring Pasta Salad is exactly what I want on repeat when the weather starts to feel like spring—fresh, crisp, easy, and SO satisfying. It’s loaded with vibrant veggies like asparagus and cucumber, chickpeas and edamame for a boost of protein, and mini mozzarella pearls for the perfect creaminess.

Why You’ll Love this Recipe:

• Perfect for meal prep: Holds up well in the fridge for a few days so it’s great for lunches, dinners, or quick snacks.
• Easy dressing: Throw everything into the blender for a quick dressing that hits every note: zesty, savoury, and a little bit sweet.
• High-protein: Chickpeas, edamame, and mozzarella pearls all add a great protein boost.
• Veggie-packed: So many fresh and crisp veggies, and you can swap in/add anything else you like!

Prep for Lemon Herb Spring Pasta Salad:

• Rinse and chop the cucumber, green onions, asparagus, and the fresh herbs
• Rinse and drain the chickpeas.
• Let the edamame thaw if using frozen.

For the Vinaigrette:

• Zest and juice the lemon.
• Peel the shallot and garlic and trim the root ends—no need to chop, they’ll go straight into the blender.
• The dressing can be made in advance and stored in a sealed jar in the fridge. Just give it a good shake or re-blend to fully emulsify before using.

How to Make Lemon Herb Spring Pasta Salad:

Step One:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch the chopped asparagus until it turns a vibrant green, around 2-3 minutes, and then remove with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking.

Step Two:

To that same pot of boiling water add your pasta. Cook according to package instructions, or until al dente. Drain and then rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Add to a large bowl and hit it with a drizzle of olive oil to prevent sticking.

Step Three: Make the Dressing

Add the shallot, garlic clove, lemon zest and juice, apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, honey, and extra virgin olive oil to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth, and season to taste with salt and black pepper.

Step Four:

Add all of the chopped veggies, the fresh herbs, the beans, and the mozzarella pearls to the large bowl of pasta.

Step Five:

Pour the dressing over the salad, mix well to combine, and serve!

Substitutions for Lemon Herb Spring Pasta Salad:

Pasta: I love orecchiette for this recipe, but any short pasta shape like farfalle or rotini will work!

Veggies: You can swap or add any veggies you like. Try finely chopped celery, broccoli, green bell peppers, snap peas, or chives.

Chickpeas: Any type of white beans can be subbed in here.

Mozzarella pearls: Any fresh mozzarella will work, just chop it into bite-sized pieces, or swap for your favourite cheese.

Dressing: Very flexible! You can customize the amount of vinegar, honey, dijon mustard, and lemon juice. If you don’t like an ingredient, just skip it!

How to Store Lemon Herb Spring Pasta Salad:

Store the pasta salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The flavours actually get better as it sits, so it’s great for making ahead. 

I like prepping into small containers to grab for quick lunches. Right before eating the leftovers, I like to drizzle a tiny bit of olive oil, a little squeeze of fresh lemon juice, salt to taste and mix. I feel like that really brightens it up and they don’t even taste like leftovers!

This pasta salad is going to be on repeat for me all Spring! Tag me on social if you try this one out, @britacooks! xx

@britacooks

Mains | Pasta | Salads | Side Dish

Lemon Herb Spring Pasta Salad

A bright, balanced pasta salad with crisp veggies & a lemony-shallot vinaigrette.

Prep Time :10 minutes mins

Cook Time :10 minutes mins

Serves: 6

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Ingredients

• 1 lb orecchiette pasta
• 1 bunch asparagus chopped
• 1-2 small cucumbers chopped
• 3 green onions chopped
• ¼ cup fresh herbs chopped (I like Italian parsley and dill)
• 1 can chickpeas rinsed and drained (15 oz)
• 1 cup edamame
• 1 cup mozzarella pearls

Vinaigrette

• 1 small shallot
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 lemon zested and juiced
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp honey
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• Salt & black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch the chopped asparagus until it turns a vibrant green, around 2-3 minutes, and then remove with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking.
2. To that same pot of boiling water add your pasta. Cook according to package instructions, or until al dente. Drain and then rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Add to a large bowl and hit it with a drizzle of olive oil to prevent sticking.
3. Make the Dressing: Add the shallot, garlic clove, lemon zest and juice, apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, honey, and extra virgin olive oil to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth, and season to taste with salt and black pepper.
4. Add all of the chopped veggies, the fresh herbs, the beans, and the mozzarella pearls to the large bowl of pasta.
5. Pour the dressing over the salad, mix well to combine, and serve!

Did you make this recipe?

I hope these are the perfect change-up to your usual taco rotation. If you try making them, please tag me on socials.

@britacooks

I’d love to see your recreations!