Lemon Herb Pasta Salad Recipe
Prep Time:
12 minutes
Cook Time:
16 minutes
Servings:
6 Servings
Ingredients
  • 2 small lemons, washed and dried
  • ½ cup cashews
  • ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 small cloves garlic
  • 1 pinch coarse salt
  • 10 leaves basil, plus more for garnish
  • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
  • 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
  • ½ tablespoon chopped mint
  • ½ tablespoon chopped chives
  • ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 2 small zucchini, sliced into thin rounds
  • 1 large pinch salt
  • 10 ounces fusilli or rotini
  • 1 cup cooked chickpeas
  • 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
  • Freshly ground black pepper, for garnish
Directions
  1. Begin the pesto: Carefully remove the peel from one of the lemons with a sharp vegetable peeler or paring knife, leaving the white part underneath intact, and place the peel in a food processor.
  2. Zest the other lemon with a lemon zester or grater and set the zest aside for garnish.
  3. Juice 1 lemon and measure out 3 tablespoons of juice. Pour the juice into the food processor with the lemon peel. Reserve any remaining lemon juice for another use.
  4. Add the cashews, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, salt, basil, parsley, cilantro, mint, and chives to the food processor and process until smooth, scraping the sides as needed. Taste and adjust for salt if desired and set the pesto aside.
  5. Begin the pasta salad: Heat the ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil in a frying pan on medium.
  6. Add the garlic clove and saute 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.
  7. Add the zucchini slices and salt and saute for 6-7 minutes until tender and starting to brown.
  8. Remove the garlic clove and set the zucchini aside to cool in a separate dish. Alternatively, you can mince the garlic and leave it in for more garlic flavor if desired.
  9. While the zucchini is cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
  10. Add the pasta and cook it to an al dente consistency according to the package directions. Scoop out about ¼ cup of the pasta cooking water shortly before the pasta is done and set it aside.
  11. Drain the pasta without rinsing it and place it in a mixing bowl.
  12. Add the pesto to the bowl and toss until the pasta is evenly coated. Add a little of the reserved pasta cooking water if needed to help mix the pasta and make it creamy. Set aside to cool completely.
  13. Once cool, add the chickpeas, cherry tomato halves, and the cooled zucchini and toss to mix.
  14. Serve the pasta salad garnished with the reserved lemon zest, fresh basil leaves, and a few twists of freshly ground black pepper.