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This easy-to-make dish only needs about a half hour of hands-on time to make. It’s perfect for lunch or as a side dish, and easy to turn into a one-dish dinner by adding a protein like chicken or shrimp.
Once you have a good pasta salad in your repertoire, it’s easy to swap out ingredients and create new versions to use what’s in your fridge or make the most of what’s in season. The creamy lemon dressing in this recipe plays well with a variety of different veggies, cheeses and herbs so feel free to get creative.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
Here’s what you need to know about the key ingredients in this recipe. The complete list, including quantities, is in the printable recipe card below.
PASTA: Choose a cut of pasta that holds the dressing well and is comparable to the size of the ingredients you plan to combine it with. We chose mini farfalle for this recipe, but penne, rotini, cavatappi, or medium shells would also be good choices.
ZUCCHINI: Zucchini is a tender, sweet vegetable that can be eaten raw, which makes it perfect for making pasta salad. You could also use yellow squash or cucumber, although if you do choose cucumber, be sure to remove any large seeds. Or better yet, buy the English variety.
BELL PEPPER: Bell peppers add both texture and vibrant color to this dish. Red, orange, and yellow peppers are interchangeable in terms of flavor (although red and orange add more color), but stay away from green peppers, as their pungent flavor will overwhelm all the other ingredients.
TOMATOES: You can use either grape or cherry tomatoes in this salad. We prefer grape tomatoes because cherry tomatoes often have a thicker skin that we don’t find as appealing in a dish where they’re not cooked.
PARSLEY: A handful of chopped parsley adds color and fresh flavor to the pasta. You could also substitute fresh dill, as it’s a great partner for feta and lemon.
FETA CHEESE: Crumbled feta, combined with the lemony dressing adds both creamy texture and salty tang to the flavor of this salad. We always recommend buying your feta in a block and crumbling it yourself as the pre-crumbled versions are drier, less flavorful, and spoil more quickly.
Overview
How to Make Creamy Pasta Salad
Planning to make this recipe? Here’s a quick overview of how it’s done. Detailed, step-by-step instructions are in the printable recipe card below.
MAKE THE LEMON DRESSING: Whisk together the olive oil, mayo, lemon juice, lemon zest, half-and-half, and garlic in a bowl.
COOK THE PASTA: Cook and drain the pasta according to package directions and transfer it to a mixing bowl. While the pasta is still warm, add half the dressing, combine and season to taste. Let cool for a few minutes.
ADD THE REMAINING INGREDIENTS: Add the zucchini, bell pepper, tomatoes, onion, parsley and feta cheese to the pasta and combine. Pour the rest of the dressing over the pasta salad and let it sit for 10-15 minutes for the flavors to develop. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
GARNISH AND SERVE: Just before serving, drizzle with a little extra olive oil and add some freshly ground black pepper. Enjoy!
More Pasta Salads You’ll Love
If you enjoy bright flavors like the ones in this dish, you might want to try our shrimp pasta salad that includes Kalamata olives and artichoke hearts for a distinctive Mediterranean flair. And while couscous may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think pasta salad, our couscous salad with feta, mint, and tomatoes is a nice change from mayo-based macaroni salads.
Creamy Pasta Salad With Lemon Dressing
Ingredients
- 8 ounces pasta, farfalle, rotini, penne
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 red or orange bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/4 cup chopped sweet onion
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
For the dressing:
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more if needed
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, (from 1 lemon)
- 1-1/2 teaspoons lemon zest, (from 1 lemon)
- 2 tablespoons half-and-half or light cream
- 1 clove garlic, minced
Instructions
- Prepare the dressing by combining the olive oil, mayonnaise, lemon juice, lemon zest, half-and-half, and garlic in a small bowl. Whisk until well blended.
- Put a pot of salted water on to boil, cook and drain the pasta according to the package directions, then transfer it to a large mixing bowl.
- Add about half of the dressing to the pasta, combine well, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool for at least 10 minutes.
- Add the zucchini, bell pepper, tomatoes, onion, parsley, and feta cheese to the pasta and combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
- Stir in the remaining dressing and set the pasta salad aside for 10 to 15 minutes to allow the flavors to develop. You can also cover and refrigerate it at this point to serve later (see notes).
- Just before serving, taste for seasoning one last time and make any needed adjustments. Drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil and top with some freshly ground black pepper.
Notes
Make-Ahead Tips
This pasta salad can easily be completed ahead of time and refrigerated, tightly covered, for up to 24 hours. For best flavor, remove from the refrigerator about 45 minutes before you want to serve, and follow the finishing instructions in step #6 above.Recipe Variations:
ADD A PROTEIN: Turn this pasta salad into an easy dinner by adding grilled chicken or shrimp, hard-boiled eggs, or even chickpeas for a vegetarian alternative. SWITCH UP THE VEGGIES: Cauliflower or broccoli florets, diced carrots, and blanched green beans are all great alternatives to the zucchini and bell peppers. TRY DIFFERENT CHEESES: Crumbled goat cheese would work in place of the feta in this dish as would fresh mozzarella cut into small cubes, especially if you opt to add some fresh basil to the dressing. ADD MORE FRESH HERBS: Other fresh herbs like dill, basil, or even tarragon could be added to the dressing for extra flavor.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is a great pasta salad. I really liked the lemon dressing and I was actually going to try it on a carrot salad. What do you think?
Hi Audrey,
Glad to hear you enjoyed this pasta salad. I never thought of using the dressing for anything else, but I think a carrot salad is a great idea. Maybe with some chives added? Come back and let us know how it turns out when you make it.
Really lovely, I had cooked chicken left over and this went well with it, quick and easy, will do it again regularly
Hi Alison,
Glad you enjoyed the pasta salad. I’ve added both chicken and shrimp on occasion and you’re right, it works well. Thanks!