Spring Garden Pasta Salad (Printable Version)

Fresh pasta with broccoli, peas, cherry tomatoes, and a lemon-herb dressing for a vibrant, light meal.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 9 oz short pasta such as fusilli, penne, or farfalle

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 small head broccoli, cut into small florets
03 - 1 cup fresh or frozen peas
04 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
05 - 2 spring onions, thinly sliced
06 - 1 small cucumber, diced

→ Dressing

07 - 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
08 - 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
09 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
10 - 1 garlic clove, finely minced
11 - 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
12 - 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
13 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Garnish

14 - ¼ cup feta cheese, crumbled (optional)
15 - 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts (optional)

# How-To Steps:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente.
02 - In the last 2 minutes of pasta cooking, add the broccoli florets and peas to the pot. Drain everything together and rinse under cold water to cool.
03 - In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, dill, parsley, salt, and pepper.
04 - Add the drained pasta, broccoli, peas, cherry tomatoes, spring onions, and cucumber to the bowl. Toss gently to coat with the dressing.
05 - Transfer to a serving platter or bowl. Sprinkle with feta cheese and pine nuts if using.
06 - Serve immediately, or refrigerate for up to 4 hours to allow flavors to meld.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in under 30 minutes, which means you can actually enjoy your afternoon instead of being stuck in the kitchen.
  • The lemon-herb dressing is so simple yet punchy that even plain pasta tastes like you tried much harder than you actually did.
  • Tastes even better the next day when everything gets friendly with each other in the fridge.
02 -
  • Don't skip the cold water rinse after draining—it's the difference between pasta salad and warm pasta mush, and I learned this the hard way at a potluck once.
  • Add the cucumber at the very end or just before serving; it releases water and will turn your beautiful dressing into soup by tomorrow.
  • Make the dressing in the large bowl before adding anything else so you can taste and adjust while there's still just liquid to balance.
03 -
  • Toast the pine nuts yourself in a dry pan for two minutes instead of buying them pre-toasted; they'll taste alive instead of stale.
  • If you're making this vegan, use a cashew-based feta or skip it entirely—the salad doesn't need it to be delicious, it just gets better with it.
  • Serve it slightly cool but not ice-cold; cold pasta gets a weird texture, but cool is perfect and lets the flavors come through.
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