Lemon Arugula Pasta Salad

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This is a delicious, zippy dressed Lemon Arugula Pasta Salad with an Easy Lemon Dijon Dressing that will have you wanting more. It’s one of our personal favorites and one of our most popular recipes. I love the vibrant, lemony, salty flavors together. This is a fully crave-able pasta salad! I guarantee your family will love it! It’s light, bright and just works well together. You have the peppery Arugula dancing along with lemon and Feta with a touch of thyme. This salad is so versatile. You can make ahead for meal prep, picnics. This one ticks all the boxes!

If you shop at Nordstrom and grab snacks at their Ebar, and this salad seems familiar, it’s because this is what has inspired my version of Lemon Arugula Pasta Salad. I wouldn’t say it’s exact because I have no idea what is in their salad other than I know it has the same basic ingredients. Their version has grape tomatoes and the chicken is poached. I don’t use tomatoes so it keeps longer and I use grilled chicken, however any type of chicken will work; baked, roasted, poached or grilled. It’s something I grab often when I’m in the mall for a quick bite. I made this salad for meal prep during the week for my husband and myself as a healthier option. I make this Lemon Arugula Pasta Salad often. It’s truly one of our very favorites and of my friends as well.

How to make this delicious Lemon Arugula Pasta Salad

So here goes. Cook your pasta al dente, rinse and let cool. I often add a little olive oil to prevent it from sticking to each other.

Once the pasta is cooled, add the chopped chicken, feta, arugula, dried thyme and Easy Lemon Dijon Dressing. (And if you love Lemons the way I do, check out this post on all things Lemon) Toss and done and done. Super easy, travels well, and a great fridge staple for hungry husband and kids.

Lemon Arugula pasta salad in bowl with fork

Can I use another type of dressing?

Yes! Store bought Italian Dressing, Balsamic Vinaigrette, Creamy Italian even Caesar dressing! (non creamy type is best). But to get that Nordstrom salad flavor, my Easy Lemon Dijon Dressing is perfect.

What can I use instead of Arugula?

You can use Baby Kale, Spinach or baby lettuces. A tip for using all of the these:
-Baby Kale will last the longest in the pasta salad. Very similar to Arugula, it’s quite sturdy if you will.
-Spinach will also keep well.
-Baby lettuces or spring greens work beautifully, but add these type of greens when you serve the salad.

Can I substitute Feta?

Of course! Chunks of Parmesan work wells, Romano cheese or any sharp cheese will do.

Can I use gluten free pasta?

Yes. Two tips with gluten free pasta. One, it absorbs a lot of liquid. I recommend tossing pasta in olive oil before dressing it. Also, if you are meal prepping, add dressing before you eat it. This will prevent from full absorption of the dressing into the pasta and leave you with a dry pasta salad.
Second tip is to undercook the pasta by 1 – 2 minutes. This prevents too much breakage. Gluten free pasta tends to break easily especially the longer it sits in the fridge.

Can I use another shape of pasta?

Yes! All shapes will work however the best shapes are those that can keep some dressing in the nooks and crannies. Rotini, Bowtie (Farfalle), and Shells are good pasta shapes for this and other pasta salads.

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All content and photographs ©Claudia’s Table and claudiastable.com