Creamy Lemon-Basil Pasta Salad
Ingredients
For the dressing:
- 2 cloves crushed garlic
- 1 cup sliced fresh basil plus more for garnish
- 1 tablespoon honey
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Zest of 1 lemon
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup plain full-fat Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅓ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the salad:
- 1 pound rigatoni pasta
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup chopped roasted red peppers fresh or from a jar
- 1 cup sliced sugar snap peas
- 1 cup baby arugula leaves
For the topping:
- ½ cup panko bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
Instructions
- For the dressing: First, make the dressing: Combine the garlic, basil, honey, lemon juice, lemon zest, mayonnaise, and yogurt in a food processor. Pulse until well combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- For the salad: Then, cook the pasta: Put the rigatoni into a large pot of boiling salted water and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Toss with olive oil and refrigerate until cool.
- For the topping: Meanwhile, make the bread crumb topping: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the bread crumbs and reduce heat to medium. Toast the bread crumbs, stirring often, until golden brown, approximately 3 minutes.
- Assemble: To assemble the salad, add the roasted red peppers, sugar snap peas, and arugula to the chilled pasta. Just before serving, drizzle with dressing and toss to combine. Top with toasted bread crumbs and garnish with basil.
Notes
Bryan’s Notes
I made this the other night, and my lovely wife, Linda, and I were blown away by the wonderful flavors! Highly recommended! We’ll make this again in a heartbeat!I modified the recipe only slightly:
-
- I used Rotini Primavera instead of Rigatoni – we had it in our pantry.
- I added some tomatoes, cut up – we needed to use them.
- I used fat-free Greek yogurt instead of full-fat – it’s what we eat.
This salad is exceptionally tasty! My wife and I loved it, and we’ll make it again at the drop of a hat.