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Lemon Capellini Salad

Lemon capellini salad with delicate angel hair pasta tossed in a bright lemon-olive oil dressing, finished with herbs, Parmesan, and cherry tomatoes. Chill the pasta salad for 30 minutes so the flavor clings to the thin strands while staying light.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
chilling 30 minutes
Total Time 53 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pasta base
  • 1 lb capellini (angel hair pasta)
  • 0.25 cup olive oil
  • 0.25 cup lemon juice
  • 2 lemons (zest) Zest of 2 lemons
Herb-lemon dressing
  • 2 garlic 2 cloves minced
  • 0.25 cup fresh parsley chopped
  • 0.25 cup fresh basil chopped
  • 0.5 cup Parmesan cheese grated
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
  • 1 salt to taste
  • 1 black pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Cook and rinse the pasta
  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook capellini according to package directions, about 3-4 minutes, until just tender with no soft spots. Drain and immediately rinse under cold water to stop cooking, keeping the strands delicate.
Make the lemon dressing
  1. In a mixing bowl, whisk olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, minced garlic, salt, and black pepper until smooth and evenly combined. The dressing should look glossy and fragrant from the zest.
Toss and finish the salad
  1. Add the drained capellini to the lemon dressing and gently toss, using light motions so the angel hair strands stay intact and airy. Stop as soon as the pasta looks evenly coated, with a sheen of lemon oil.
Add toppings
  1. Add chopped parsley, chopped basil, grated Parmesan, and halved cherry tomatoes, then gently toss again. Fold carefully so tomatoes stay whole-ish and herbs stay bright green and fragrant.
Chill and serve
  1. Refrigerate the salad for 30 minutes before serving, covered, so the flavors meld and the dressing thickens slightly on the pasta. Serve chilled in an elegant bowl, with extra lemon zest visible on top.

Notes

Pro tip: Rinse the pasta thoroughly with cold water so the strands don’t stick and stay light—then toss promptly to coat them in the lemon oil. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days; the texture will soften slightly, but it’s still tasty. Freezing: no, freezing makes angel hair salad watery. Dietary swap: use a vegetarian Parmesan or a dairy-free aged alternative if you want a dairy-light version (flavor will be a bit different).