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Lemon basil pasta salad in a white bowl with gold serving utensils to the side.
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Lemon Basil Pasta Salad

Lemon Basil Pasta Salad is a simplistic, flavor bomb chilled salad that everyone will love over the summer. It's light, made with fresh ingredients like parmesan, basil and lemon zest in every bite.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time18 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Main Course, Salad
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4
Author: Bailey Rhatigan

Equipment

  • grill or grill pan or skillet
  • large serving bowl

Ingredients

Chicken

  • 1 lb chicken breast, boneless & skinless
  • 1 tsp each garlic powder, oregano, onion powder
  • ½ tsp each salt, pepper, smoked paprika

Lemon Basil Pasta Salad

  • 3 cups Shellbows or Bowtie Pasta, cooked
  • 2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
  • ½ cup fresh basil, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup parmesan plus more for garnish
  • 2 Tbsp lemon zest more for garnish, use the lemons that will be used in the dressing below

Lemon Dressing

  • ⅓ cup olive oil
  • ⅓ cup lemon juice about 3 lemons
  • 1 tsp red wine vinegar
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tsp dijon mustard
  • ½ tsp each salt & pepper

Instructions

  • Make The Chicken. Start with seasoning and cooking the chicken breasts. You can grill them on medium heat for about 7-9 minutes on each side or on a skillet pan over the stovetop. Be sure to turn them every few minutes and check the internal temp (165º) to ensure they are cooked through. Let them rest while you make the salad.
    **Make pasta while chicken cooks. Let it cool before using.
  • Mix The Dressing. In a small bowl add lemon juice, minced garlic, salt, pepper, oil, dijon, vinegar. Whisk well, set aside until ready to toss and serve.
  • Combine Everything. In a large serving bowl add the cooked, cooled, pasta, spinach, basil, parmesan and cubed chicken. Drizzle the dressing over the top with lemon zest, toss well to ensure even coating and serve! You can enjoy this salad at room temperature or chilled.

Notes

  • Make it ahead of time. Just keep that dressing to the side until you are ready to serve, this avoids the pasta soaking it all up and making it dry.
  • Give it extra garnish. Feel free to add more parmesan and lemon zest to the top for a more aesthetic look.
  • Make sure the pasta is cooled before tossing the recipe together. Otherwise the parm will clump and melt and the basil will wilt. 
  • If you want to salad to have more dressing, feel free to double up on the mix.

Nutrition

Calories: 567kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 90mg | Sodium: 814mg | Potassium: 672mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1799IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 341mg | Iron: 2mg