Lemon Pasta Salad

Lemon Pasta Salad

A friend at my book club shared with us a yummy pasta salad. We had a neighborhood party last night so I thought I would try to recreate it (her recipe was a list of ingredients, no proportions…). It is a really good and fresh tasting salad that doesn’t need to have the food-borne-illness police timing how long it has been out of the fridge.

*1 lb. pasta (I used the regular size shell noodles)
*½ c. olive oil
*1 ½ c. chopped broccoli florets (she had used 1-inch asparagus pieces, but the asparagus at my store was not looking too good)
*1/3 c. fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
*Grated rind of 2 lemons (make sure to grate before juicing)
*1 tsp. salt
*2 tsp. fresh ground pepper
*5 TBSP. roasted pine nuts
*1 red pepper, diced (she used halved cherry tomatoes, but I love red peppers)
*2 TBSP. fresh basil, chopped
*1/2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese (she also used cubed mozzarella)

Prepare pasta according to package instructions. When fully cooked, drain and rinse thoroughly with cold water, then toss with about 1 TBSP. olive oil. Put in large bowl in the fridge while you prepare the rest. If you are using asparagus, simmer it in a skillet of water for about 10-12 minutes until tender and then plunge into ice water to keep color fresh. I chopped the broccoli while the noodles were cooking, put it in a colander in the sink and then poured the hot pasta water over it before rinsing well with cold water.

Toast the pine nuts in a small skillet on the stove (medium heat for a couple minutes while stirring constantly to prevent burning). I actually do mine in my toaster oven set to 300 for about 3 minutes. Keep an eye on them so they get golden brown, not chocolate brown. Set aside to cool. I tossed the red pepper with the basil and a little olive oil before mixing the salad. In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, rind, salt, pepper, and the remaining olive oil. Toss pasta, dressing, nuts, peppers, and cheese together. Serve.

Notes: Pine nuts are usually sold near the produce in a small plastic container. This recipe uses about 1/3 of that package. Store the remaining nuts in the fridge to add to many pasta recipes.
If you don't have a citrus juicer, just slice in half and use a fork to get the most juice out. It also helps to roll the lemons on the counter before juicing.
I needed to prep the salad several hours before the party. Just pile all the mix-ins on top and right before serving stir in the dressing and mix well.