Description
Lemon Capellini Salad is a refreshing and light Italian-inspired pasta salad featuring thin capellini noodles tossed with a zesty lemon dressing, fresh diced tomatoes, briny capers, and vibrant parsley. Perfect as a cool side dish for any season, this salad pairs wonderfully with grilled meats or roasted vegetables.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Salad
- 8 oz capellini pasta (or angel hair pasta)
- ½ cup diced tomatoes, seeds removed (roma or grape tomatoes recommended)
- 3 tbsp capers, drained
- 1 tbsp fresh curly leaf parsley, finely chopped
For the Dressing
- Juice of 2 medium lemons
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 ½ tsp garlic salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Carefully add the capellini pasta, taking care not to break the delicate noodles. Cook for about 5 minutes or until al dente. Drain the pasta and rinse with cool water to stop the cooking process and keep it from clumping.
- Prepare the Dressing: While the pasta cooks, in a large bowl whisk together the juice of two lemons, lemon zest, extra virgin olive oil, garlic salt, and freshly ground black pepper until well combined.
- Combine Ingredients: Add the cooled pasta to the dressing along with the diced tomatoes and capers. Toss everything gently to combine and ensure the pasta is evenly coated.
- Finish and Serve: Stir in the chopped fresh parsley for a pop of color and flavor. Give the salad one last toss to distribute the ingredients uniformly. Serve immediately or cover and chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Toss again before serving if chilled.
Notes
- This pasta salad can be refrigerated for up to 5 days. Always toss it again before serving to redistribute the dressing that may have settled.
- For best presentation and texture, avoid breaking the capellini noodles while cooking.
- If capellini is unavailable, thin spaghetti can be used as a substitute.
- This dish is delicious served cold and improves in flavor after resting in the fridge.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: Capers, Pasta Salad, Lemon Pasta, Capellini Salad, Italian Salad, Cold Pasta Salad
