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Basil Lemon Pasta Salad

Lemon basil pasta salad with farfalle or rotini tossed in a bright citrus dressing, finished with fresh basil, Parmesan, and halved cherry tomatoes. Chilled for at least 1 hour so the flavors mellow while the pasta stays tender and lightly coated.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Farfalle or rotini pasta
  • 1 lb farfalle or rotini pasta
Fresh basil leaves
  • 1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
Olive oil dressing base
  • 0.25 cup olive oil
Lemon juice
  • 0.25 cup lemon juice
Lemon zest
  • 2 count zest of 2 lemons Use only the yellow zest.
Garlic
  • 2 clove garlic, minced
Parmesan cheese
  • 0.5 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Cherry tomatoes
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
Salt and pepper
  • 1 salt and pepper to taste
Pine nuts (optional garnish)
  • 1 pine nuts for garnish (optional)

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Cook and rinse the pasta
  1. Cook the farfalle or rotini pasta according to the package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking and cool the pasta quickly.
Make the citrus basil dressing
  1. Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, salt, and pepper until the mixture looks uniform and glossy. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed with more salt and pepper.
Toss the salad
  1. Combine the pasta, torn basil leaves, grated Parmesan, and halved cherry tomatoes in a large bowl. Toss gently so the basil distributes throughout the pasta and tomatoes stay intact.
Chill and garnish
  1. Pour the lemon dressing over the salad and toss to coat evenly. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to let the flavors meld.
  2. Top with pine nuts if desired, then serve chilled. Keep leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Notes

For best texture, rinse the pasta well with cold water so it doesn’t keep softening while you dress it. Chill at least 1 hour for flavor blending; store covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days and do not freeze. For a lighter option, use low-fat Parmesan and reduce the olive oil to 2 tbsp while still using the full lemon juice and zest for brightness.