This healthy arugula pasta salad is super easy to make, featuring fresh arugula with a peppery flavor and a quick homemade lemon dressing made with fresh lemon juice, agave, and a few other simple ingredients that bring all the comforting flavors together. It's one of those summer recipes you can make on repeat or whenever you crave something simple yet comforting and still totally healthy.
Similar to my Easy Vegan Orzo Pasta Salad, this simple dish brings together the fresh flavors of crisp greens and perfectly cooked, cooled pasta noodles. But this time, I'm dressing it up with my new favorite combination: a savory, lemony dressing with a hint of sweetness from blue agave. It's incredibly easy to make, perfect for laid-back summer evenings, and you can even meal prep the dressing in advance. Use it to add bright, zesty flavor to other dishes too, like my Vegan Three Bean Salad, if you feel like switching things up.
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Ingredients To Make This Easy Pasta Salad Recipe:
Here's what you need to make this delicious pasta dish, and as always, I'll leave links to my favorite products and brands.
- Pasta: I love rotini pasta, but any short pasta will do, like penne or bowtie pasta. Any leftovers can be used to make my Air Fryer Pasta Chips. Use gluten-free pasta to make this recipe vegan and gluten-free.
- Arugula: Fresh arugula (or baby arugula) gives the salad its signature peppery flavor and vibrant color. I love the ease of ordering from OrganicGirl.
- Lemon Agave Dressing: This zesty lemon dressing is made with fresh lemon juice, blue agave, extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, rice wine vinegar, garlic, kosher salt, and black pepper.
- Dairy-free Parmesan Cheese: It has the same savory and nutty characteristics as Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese but without dairy.
See the recipe card for quantities.
How To Make It:
It's so easy. Here's what to do.
- Cook Pasta: Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process.
- Prepare Dressing: In a small bowl or jar, whisk together fresh lemon juice, blue agave, rice wine vinegar, grated garlic, kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, extra virgin olive oil, and avocado oil until smooth and emulsified.
- Combine Ingredients: In a large bowl, add the cooled pasta, fresh arugula, and parmesan cheese. Pour in your lemon agave dressing and toss until everything is well coated.
- Chill & Serve: Cover and refrigerate in an airtight container for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors meld. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Top Tips:
As always, here are a few of my tips to make this dish great from the start.
- Salt the Water: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for cooking the pasta to enhance the flavor.
- Don't Overcook the Pasta: Cooking the pasta noodles al dente helps keep a firm texture, which is perfect for a cold pasta salad.
- Cool the Pasta: Rinse the pasta under cold water to prevent it from overcooking and allow the noodles to cool immediately. You don't want warm pasta to wilt the arugula when mixing them together.
- Perfect for Meal prep: This salad is even better the next day as the flavors deepen, making it perfect for meal prep.
Variations And Substitutions:
This delicious cold salad is so easy to make. Try it as-is and then make it your own with these recommended variations or subs.
- Other Greens: You could experiment with baby spinach or another type of leafy green if you prefer, like Organigirl Super Greens, as in my Vegan Mushroom And Herb Risotto Recipe.
- Optional Add-Ins: Cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes, kalamata olives, pine nuts, sunflower seeds, or red onions can make this salad even more colorful and satisfying.
- For a Protein Boost: Add a can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans.
- For the Dressing: Use maple syrup in place of blue agave if you don't have it on hand.
Storage:
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. This salad holds up beautifully and makes a great quick lunch or dinner the next day.
Equipment Needed:
- Large Pot: For boiling the pasta.
- Large Bowl: To assemble the pasta salad.
- Small Bowl or Jar: To mix the dressing ingredients.
- Colander: For draining the pasta.
- Microplane: To grate the garlic.
- Airtight Container: To cool the salad and for storing leftovers.
Recipe FAQs:
Yes! This healthy arugula pasta salad actually tastes better after chilling. Just give it a good toss before serving. It's also perfect for meal prep.
Definitely, add extra toppings like a can of chickpeas or tofu to make it more filling.
Of course! An Italian dressing or balsamic vinegar-based dressing works well, but I think the lemon agave dressing truly makes this salad shine. Give it a try.
Serve chilled straight from the fridge or at room temperature. Just don't serve it too cold, so the flavors really pop.
More Amazing Vegan Pasta Recipes To Try Next:
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
If you try this Easy Lemon Arugula Pasta Salad Recipe, I'd really love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. I'd also really appreciate a recipe card rating! Thank you for supporting The All Natural Vegan!
Easy Lemon Arugula Pasta Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 16 oz pasta of choice
- 1 clamshell organicgirl arugula
- ⅓ cup parmesan
- ½ cup organicgirl lemon agave dressing:
To make the organicgirl lemon agave dressing: (reserve the rest for other recipes)
- 2 tablespoon lemon zest fresh
- ¾ cup lemon juice
- ⅓ cup blue agave or liquid sweetener of choice
- 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 1-2 cloves garlic grated on microplane to make 1 teaspoon puree
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup avocado oil
Instructions
Cook the Pasta:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente.
- Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process and cool the pasta.
Make The Dressing:
- Grate 2 whole lemons on a large-hole grater, for the entire zest and some pith. Juice the remains into a measuring cup (discard seeds). Add additional lemon juice to make ¾ cup total juice.
- Add to blender: zest, pith, lemon juice, rice wine vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper, and whirl for a minute to combine and break up some of the pith.
- While the blender is running on low, remove the center cap and slowly stream oils into the puree.
- Shake or stir before using.
Combine Ingredients:
- In a large mixing bowl, add the cooled pasta, arugula, and Parmesan.
- Pour in the Lemon Agave Dressing and toss until everything is well coated.
Chill & Serve:
- Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to let the flavors meld.
- Serve chilled or at room temperature.
More Vegan Salad Recipes:
Looking for more delicious vegan salad recipes? Make sure to check out some of the other recipes on my website!
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