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–+ servings

Lemon Capellini Salad with Arugula

Casey Rooney
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.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Chilling Time 1 hour
Course Main Course, pasta, Side Dish
Cuisine American, Italian
Servings 4

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

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.