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Lemon Capellini Salad

Lemon capellini salad with delicate angel hair pasta tossed in a bright lemon-olive oil dressing and chilled for a light, refreshing side. Delicately tossed with herbs, cherry tomatoes, and Parmesan for a silky, not-broken noodle texture.
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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
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

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

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Cook and chill pasta
  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the capellini according to package directions (usually 3-4 minutes), until just tender with a delicate bite.
  2. Drain the capellini and rinse with cold water to stop cooking, then spread strands in a single layer on a sheet pan to cool quickly.
  3. Refrigerate the cooled pasta for 30 minutes to get it ready to serve chilled as a light salad.
Make the lemon dressing and assemble
  1. Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, minced garlic, salt, and pepper until smooth and well combined.
  2. Add the capellini to the dressing and gently toss, lifting the strands instead of stirring hard to avoid breaking the delicate noodles.
  3. Fold in parsley, basil, grated Parmesan, and halved cherry tomatoes, tossing gently just until coated and evenly distributed.
  4. Serve immediately or plate from the chilled bowl for a crisp-cool, lemony finish.

Notes

Pro tip: Rinse with cold water and toss gently—angel hair pasta can tear if aggressively stirred. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days; the texture softens slightly but remains tasty. Freezing is not recommended. For a dairy-light option, use finely grated Pecorino or a reduced-fat Parmesan substitute (dressing will be slightly less rich).