Summer Pasta Salad

5 from 3 votes

Summer Pasta Salad is THE SALAD you should make for all the summer gatherings. This combines pasta cooked to al dente, crunchy vegetables, protein-rich chickpeas, salt feta cheese, and zesty lemon dressing! You will get rave reviews from this delicious pasta salad!

Course Main Dish, Salad

Cuisine American

Keyword lemon salad dressing, summer pasta salad

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 15

Total Time 45

Servings servings

Calories 324kcal

Author Sue Ringsdorf

Ingredients

For the pasta salad:

3 ½ cup dried pasta - I used three different kinds but any works
15 oz. chickpeas - rinsed and drained
1 cup feta cheese
1 cup cucumber - sliced
1 medium bell pepper - any color, chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes - halved
1/2 cup green onions - diced
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves - chiffonade (or sliced in small strips)

For the lemon dressing:

2/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 1-2 lemons) - freshly squeezed
1 Tablespoon honey
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper - to taste

Instructions

Boil pasta. Cook pasta in some salty water until al dente. You want a little bit of bite in the pasta. Strain pasta and let cool. (If using more than one type of pasta noodles, cook them separately as they will require different cooking times.)
3 ½ cup dried pasta
Prep veggies. Chop the fresh veggies – bell peppers, cucumber, onion, and tomatoes – and set aside.
Make dressing. Add lemon dressing ingredients in a mason jar – olive oil, lemon dressing, honey, salt, and pepper. Shake vigorously.
2/3 cup olive oil, 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 1-2 lemons), 1 Tablespoon honey, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Assemble pasta salad. Combine the cooked and cooled pasta, the chickpeas, feta cheese, and chopped veggies. Toss and then add the lemon dressing. Toss again. Top with the fresh basil.
15 oz. chickpeas, 1 cup feta cheese, 1 cup cucumber, 1 medium bell pepper, 1 cup cherry tomatoes, 1/2 cup green onions, 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves

Notes

Expert Tips:

Using different shapes of pasta add interest but is not required.
Add the dressing a couple of hours ahead of time to help the pasta absorb the flavors.
I like the flavored feta crumbles best for this salad.

Nutrition