Lemon Capellini Salad with Arugula
This easy lemon capellini salad is the perfect summer pasta salad! This light dish is made with capellini pasta (you can use angel hair), cherry tomatoes, capers, and arugula and tossed in a light olive oil, Parmesan, and lemon dressing. Serve with grilled meats, or it on its own with some crusty garlic bread!
Need a few more summer pasta salad ideas? You’ll love this cold lemon orzo salad, and this chopped Caprese salad with arugula! Also, check out 40+ delicious summer salad recipes!
Recipe Ingredients: Lemon Capellini Salad with Arugula
For the salad & dressing:
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Capellini pasta: Capellini means “little hairs” in Italian and is very similar to angel hair pasta. Capellini is just SLIGHTLY thicker than angel hair. You can use either, or even thin spaghetti noodles.
Olive oil: Since there are so few ingredients in this pasta dish, every ingredient shines! Use a good-quality extra virgin olive oil for the best flavor.
Arugula: The peppery bite of arugula is such a great addition to this salad. You can also use spinach or basil.
Expert Tips
- Quality ingredients: This pasta salad has very few ingredients, so every ingredient has to shine! Use good quality oil, Parmesan cheese, and fresh cherry tomatoes, and arugula.
- Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. If at any time the pasta seems a little dry, add 1 to 2 teaspoons of olive oil and a good squeeze of lemon juice and mix to combine.
- Flavor: When initially tasting the pasta before refrigerating, it will be very lemony. After having some time for the flavors to combine, it will be more balanced. Be sure to chill the salad for about an hour before serving to allow the flavors to mellow out and come together.
How to serve
Side dish with chicken or fish: This salad is the perfect, light complement to serve alongside grilled or baked chicken or a light-baked fish dish like this baked panko-crusted cod.
Shrimp: Try pairing this lemon capellini with buttery shrimp scampi!
Veggie Side: If you’re craving more veg, pair with roasted broccoli, grilled zucchini, or eggplant.
Wine pairing: This lemon capellini pairs so well with a crisp white wine such as Pinot Grigio or a nice, sparkling wine.
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Thank you! ~ Casey
Lemon Capellini Salad with Arugula
Ingredients
For the salad
- 8 oz. capellini pasta (or angel hair)
- 2 cups arugula
- 1/2 cup good-quality Parmesan cheese + more for serving
- 2 tbsp. capers, drained
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
For the dressing
- 1/3 cup good-quality extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp. lemon zest
- 1/3 cup lemon juice
- 1 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cook pasta: Cook the pasta to al dente, according to the package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.
- Make the dressing: While the pasta is cooking, make the dressing. In a small bowl, add the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and black pepper. Whisk to combine.
- Add: Place the cooled pasta in a large bowl and add the arugula, parmesan cheese, and capers.
- Pour and add: Pour the dressing over the pasta, and carefully toss to combine. Last, sprinkle on the cherry tomatoes, and give the pasta one more gentle toss to make sure everything is well coated with the dressing.
- Chill and serve: Cover the bowl of pasta and place it in the refrigerator for an hour to chill, and let the flavors combine. Remove from the refrigerator, toss, taste, and adjust the seasonings to your liking. Serve with extra parmesan cheese and lemon wedges.
Notes
- Serving: This recipe makes 4 “side dish” portions. If you are serving this salad as a main course, you can easily double it for more servings.
- Quality ingredients: This pasta salad has very few ingredients, so every ingredient has to shine! Use good-quality oil, Parmesan cheese, and fresh cherry tomatoes, and arugula.
- Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. If at any time the pasta seems a little dry, add 1 to 2 teaspoons of olive oil and a good squeeze of lemon juice and mix to combine.
This salad just screams spring and warm weather! It’s light, fresh, and EASYYY to make! I hope you love it as much as I do! XO~ Casey