Pasta salad can be a polarizing dish. Creamy or oil-and-vinegar? What shape of pasta to use? Cheese or no cheese? Love it or hate it? Personally, I think this Lemon-Basil Zucchini Pasta Salad puts many of those questions to rest and could please even the most avid pasta-salad-hater. This version starts out like many others, with a short, bite sized pasta – but then the flavors head in a new direction. Loads of bright, lemony flavor mingle with herby basil, crisp fresh zucchini, peppery arugula, and creamy mozzarella for a pasta salad like you’ve never had before. This salad tastes equally good cold, room temperature, and warm (I know, its hard to wait for the pasta to cool sometimes). Bottom line? Give this recipe a try and prepare to redefine what you thought pasta salad could be.
Another bonus? This salad is super easy to put together. Boil the pasta, let it cool, chop some ingredients, mix, and you are done! This pasta is fantastic eaten immediately, but it also holds well in the fridge. My only suggestion is to let it warm just slightly before eating, as the olive oil tends to thicken quite a bit when it’s cold.
Looking for other pasta dishes? Try these:
Winter Carbonara with Butternut Squash and Crispy Sage
Spaghetti Aglio e Olio with Burrata and Toasted Breadcrumbs
I hope you love this Lemon-Basil Zucchini Pasta Salad as much as I do! If you make this recipe, leave a comment and let me know what you thought or feel free to ask a question! I’d also love to see what you made! Tag me in your food pics or use #fortheperfectbite on Instagram.
Lemon-Basil Zucchini Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 24 oz. uncooked short pasta
- olive oil
- 2 cups raw zucchini, chopped
- 1 cup baby spinach, chopped
- 1 cup baby arugula
- ½ cup basil, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 2 large lemons, zested
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 cup fresh mozzarella or burrata, torn
- ¼ cup scallions, chopped
- ½ cup salted, roasted, sunflower seeds
- kosher salt
- black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain, and toss lightly with olive oil.
- Allow the pasta to cool completely.
- When the pasta is cool, in a large bowl combine the cooked pasta, ¼ cup olive oil, zucchini, baby spinach, baby arugula, basil, garlic, zest and juice of both lemons, white wine vinegar, mozzarella, scallions, sunflower seeds, and salt and pepper to taste. Taste, and add more oil or vinegar if desired.
- Serve, at room temperature or chilled.
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