Lemon Pasta Salad
Lemon Pasta Salad with Basil! This pasta salad features herby chickpeas, bowtie pasta, fresh basil, lemon, and shredded Asiago cheese.
Lemon lovers, this pasta salad is for you! Inspired by the Lemon Basil Pasta Salad from Trader Joe’s– this lemon pasta salad is perfect for summer nights.
It’s got marinated chickpeas, fresh basil, sharp asiago cheese, and lots of little bow-tie pasta. It’s also great to make ahead for potlucks, picnics and other gatherings this summer.
First, you’ll marinate the chickpeas with olive oil, shallots, garlic, and plenty of lemon. This is the base of the lemon pasta salad and gives it so much flavor. Then, you’ll add in the rest of the ingredients– pasta, basil, shredded cheese. Toss together and enjoy!
See below for more tips, or scroll down for the full recipe.
Ingredient Notes
As so much of the flavor from this pasta salad comes from the marinated chickpeas, I recommend a good olive oil. You don’t have to break the bank, but you’ll want to select an extra-virgin olive oil and not substitute in regular olive oil or another neutral oil.
You can adjust the shallots, garlic, or lemon juice/zest to this pasta depending on taste.
I like bow-tie pasta as that’s what they use in the Trader Joe’s version and I think it makes for a pretty pasta salad, but other short noodles will work. Long noodles, like spaghetti, angel hair won’t work in this lemon pasta salad.
How to Make Lemon Pasta Salad
Marinate the Chickpeas
Toss the chickpeas with olive oil, minced shallots, garlic and lemon zest and juice. Let sit for at least 30 minutes.
Cook the Pasta
Cook the pasta to al dente, then drain and rinse.
Toss with basil, chickpeas and cheese
Add the cooked pasta, basil, and shredded cheese to the bowl with the chickpeas and toss together. Season to taste and serve. This taste best at room temperature.
Tips for Success
This one tastes best at room temperature, so if you want to make it ahead of time then I recommend pulling it out of the fridge an hour in advance of serving.
More Pasta Salad Recipes
- Vegan Pasta Salad
- Cherry Caprese Pasta Salad
- Chopped Italian Pasta Salad
- BBQ Pasta Salad
- Grilled Vegetable Orzo Pasta Salad
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Lemon Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 15 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 medium lemons, zest and juice
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 small shallot, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 12 ounces mini bowties or bowties, cooked
- 1 cup shredded asiago cheese
- 1 cup torn fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the chickpeas, lemon zest and lemon juice, olive oil, minced garlic cloves, pepper, shallot and salt. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes. This is a great time to cook the pasta and shred the cheese, if you haven't already.
- When ready to serve, add in the cooked pasta, asiago cheese, and basil leaves. Toss to combine, then taste– adding in more olive oil, lemon, salt, etc. to taste.
I love the Trader Joe’s lemon pasta salad and love this version, so lemony!
What can I sub in for the chicken peas? Chicken peas, garbanzo beans, and hummus are dirty words in my house.Think it might be the texture. I will omit them if no sub and increase the pasta. Thank you.
What about white beans?
Please note, that *most* Asiago cheese in the US in not vegetarian. As far as I know, these are the only brands that are: BelGioioso, Sartori, Vella Cheese. A lot of Trader Joe’s cheese and Aldi cheese is indeed vegetarian, but their Asiago is not on the list. If you search for vegetarian cheese list, it should come up. I don’t like to post links from other websites on blogs, but I can share if you wish. I was surprised how many cheeses are NOT vegetarian. I am not vegan or vegetarian, but I try to limit my meat and dairy intake, And I do have vegetarians in my family. It looks delicious – I should be able to find BelGioso Asiago at my local grocery store, as I prefer to consume vegetarian cheese if it is convenient. Thank you for the wonderful recipes, I have tried many and they are always delicious and nutritious.
Thanks for the reminder! Yes, I used Sartori which I grabbed at Whole Foods. You could also do a fresh parmesan (Whole Foods brand is also vegetarian, and I believe Trader Joe’s is, but not 100% sure.) I like the bite of the asiago, which is why I chose it for this recipe but you can also leave it out! We are mindful of our dairy intake and try to do a balance of dairy and dairy-free.