Description
A light and refreshing Lemon Capellini Salad featuring tender angel hair pasta tossed with zesty lemon juice, olive oil, garlic salt, fresh tomatoes, tangy capers, and vibrant parsley. Perfect as a quick side dish or a flavorful, summery main.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 8 oz capellini pasta (or angel hair pasta)
Dressing & Mix-ins
- Juice of 2 medium lemons plus 1 tsp lemon zest
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 ½ tsp garlic salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ cup diced tomatoes (seeds removed)
- 3 tbsp capers (drained)
- 1 tbsp curly leaf parsley (finely chopped)
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the capellini pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, about 4 minutes. Drain the pasta and rinse under cool water to stop the cooking process and prevent clumping.
- Prepare the dressing: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the fresh juice of two lemons, one teaspoon of lemon zest, extra virgin olive oil, garlic salt, and black pepper until well combined.
- Combine ingredients: Add the cooled pasta into the bowl with the dressing. Toss in the diced tomatoes and drained capers. Stir gently to mix all flavors evenly.
- Add fresh herbs and serve: Fold in the finely chopped curly leaf parsley for a fresh, herbal note. Toss once more to incorporate. Serve immediately as a zesty pasta salad or cover and chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Notes
- Be careful not to overcook the capellini, as it cooks very quickly due to its thinness.
- Rinsing pasta with cool water stops cooking and keeps the strands separate for the salad.
- For extra flavor, allow the salad to chill for 30 minutes before serving to let flavors meld.
- Capers add a nice briny touch; adjust quantity to taste.
- This salad is best served fresh but can be stored covered in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: lemon pasta salad, capellini salad, angel hair pasta salad, Italian lemon salad, light pasta dish, summer pasta salad, vegetarian pasta salad
