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a plain bowl of brown whole-wheat rotini with short bright-green bean pieces, thin celery slices and abundant chopped parsley, chives and dill in a light lemon vinaigrette
Rachel Kim

Lemon Herb Pasta Salad

Whole-wheat rotini gives lemon and fresh herbs a sturdy base, with short green-bean pieces and celery keeping the bowl crisp. Cook the beans just until their raw bite softens. They should stay bright green after cooling, and the herbs belong in the final toss so their flavor stays fresh. Lemon zest carries fragrance without making the dressing excessively sour, while a little Dijon helps the oil cling to the pasta instead of collecting underneath it.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 8
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 12 oz dry whole-wheat rotini
  • 1 tbsp fine salt for pasta water
  • 8 oz green beans trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 2 celery ribs finely sliced
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 tsp fine salt for dressing
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped chives
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill

Method
 

  1. Boil rotini in water with the tablespoon salt until fully tender, adding green beans for the last 3 minutes. Drain, rinse under cool water and drain thoroughly.
  2. Whisk oil, lemon juice, zest, Dijon, dressing salt and pepper in a large bowl.
  3. Add pasta, green beans and celery and toss to coat, then fold in parsley, chives and dill.
  4. Serve cool, or cover and refrigerate promptly for at least 30 minutes.
  5. Toss once more before serving and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.