We love this lemon basil pasta salad recipe made with a dairy-free basil dressing and lots of grilled summer vegetables.
The middle of the summer might just be our favorite time of year. The summer produce is epic, and while we cannot say either of us has a green thumb, the one thing we’ve knocked out of the park each year is growing mountains of basil (by the way, do you want some basil?). It is the perfect excuse to make this herby salad (and maybe an extra batch of basil pesto).
We have plenty of pasta salad recipes on the blog (our Italian pasta salad being one of them), but we really love the blended dressing in this one, not to mention the addition of grilled summer vegetables. Serve this one as a simple side dish, or a light dinner!
Key Ingredients
- Pasta: We love pasta shapes with lots of nooks and crannies to trap the lemon basil dressing. We love cavitappi, penne, fusilli, and rotini.
- Summer Veggies: Choose quick-cooking vegetables like onions, zucchini, and bell peppers. Slice them thinly, then grill until tender.
- Basil: You need a good handful of fresh basil leaves for this. Just pick them off the stems.
- Lemon: To pack in extra lemony flavor, use the zest and juice of a lemon in the dressing.
- Mustard, Honey, and Olive Oil: These round out the dressing. Use a good-quality extra-virgin olive oil.
Find the full recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Lemon Basil Pasta Salad
This one really is easy, and while I love it for potlucks and summer get-togethers, my favorite use is actually making it for a simple, fresh summer dinner. Here’s a quick overview for how to make it:
- Boil the pasta, rinse, and drain.
- Grill the veggies (either outdoors or on a grill pan).
- Blend basil with the dressing ingredients to make a thick, lemon-herb dressing.
- Toss the pasta, grilled vegetables, and dressing together, and enjoy!
Our Secrets for Making the Salad
Tip 1: Rinse the cooked pasta. We rarely suggest rinsing cooked pasta, but for almost all of the pasta salads on Inspired Taste, it is essential. Rinsing under cold water removes the excess starch clinging to the noodles. If you have ever had a clingy, sticky pasta salad, this step fixes it. We do the exact same thing when making our easy pasta salad and this creamy macaroni salad.
Tip 2: Make the basil dressing in a blender. We use our small blender, and it takes less than two minutes. You’ll combine lots of fresh basil, mustard, honey, lemon zest, lemon juice, and olive oil together. Feel free to make extra, too. It is absolutely perfect tossed with pasta, but is also excellent with cedar-planked salmon and grilled chicken.
Tip 3: Add the dressing to warm pasta and veggies. Since you’ve rinsed the cooked pasta, it won’t be super hot anymore. We like tossing this salad together while the pasta and vegetables are still warm. You can absolutely serve this salad cold, but we both give it an edge when served warm or room temperature.
More Summer Salads
Lemon Basil Pasta Salad
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
This lemon herb pasta salad can be prepared up to 8 hours in advance. Just cover and refrigerate, then bring it to room temperature or warm it slightly before serving. Keep in mind that as the salad sits, the basil in the dressing will lose some of its bright green color, but it still tastes absolutely delicious. We highly recommend making a little extra dressing to toss in right before serving to refresh the flavors!
You Will Need
For the Pasta Salad12 ounces (340 g) dry pasta like cavatappi, fusilli or penne
2 medium zucchini, sliced into long ¼-inch strips
1 red onion, sliced into ¼-inch rings
2 bell peppers, seeds removed and quartered
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the Lemon Basil Dressing⅔ cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey, plus more to taste
2 teaspoons lemon zest
⅓ cup (80 ml) fresh lemon juice
⅓ cup (80 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more if needed
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
1Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until tender, 6 to 10 minutes (check the package for recommended cook time). Drain and rinse well under cold water.
2Meanwhile, heat a grill pan over medium heat or prepare an outdoor grill. Toss the zucchini, red onion, and bell peppers with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and season generously with salt and pepper. Grill the vegetables, turning occasionally, until cooked through and the edges begin to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. (Note: If using a grill pan, you may need to work in batches). Once cool enough to handle, chop the vegetables into ½-inch pieces.
3In a food processor or blender, combine the basil, mustard, honey, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Blend, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. With the machine running, gradually drizzle in the olive oil and blend until creamy. (If the dressing is too thick, add 1 to 2 more tablespoons of olive oil.) Taste and adjust with salt and pepper.
4In a large bowl, toss the cooked pasta with the chopped grilled vegetables. Pour in enough dressing to coat everything nicely and mix well. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper as needed. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 8 hours.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- The nutrition facts provided are estimates.
That looks fantastic. Perfect for using abundant late summer veggies. I’m pinning this for next month when we’ll be swimming in them. Thanks for sharing.
You are so welcome. Hope you enjoy 🙂
It’s really incredibly, I Tried your new way of preparing salad with these pasta salad recipes and more from the expert chefs found it awesome. Kids liked it at most. Thanks
Just popped in, saw this recipe, it looks very good. I don’t have any red onions but I just bought some vidala onions so I think I will use those instead.
Will give an update once Ive tried it. Thanks for sharing it!