This delicious Lemon Artichoke Pasta Salad is so fresh and delicious, super easy to make ahead of time, and tossed with a yummy lemon-basil vinaigrette. Perfect for spring!
Best group text to start a weekday morning: “Grill out tonight?”
Within minutes, most all of our Wednesday-night-hangout friends were on it. “?” said Beth. “Peter and I can bring some veggies for grilling!” said Cass. “I’ve got chicken breasts and veggie burgers!” said Rachel. “I’ve got tilapia and wine!” said Sarah. “Do we need more chicken? I have some I can bring!” said Michelle. “We’ll bring chips or something!” said Danielle. “I’ll bring an artichoke pasta salad” said Yours Truly.
And just like that, a delicious plan for the evening was hatched that I looked forward to all day long. Sure enough, it did not disappoint. By the time everyone rolled in after work, the weather was gloriously warm and sunny and un-mosquito-y. The kiddos instantly took to the grassy lawn, where they ran around and played for hours. The smell of the grill was intoxicating and made all of our food taste downright magical, especially after a long winter of food cooked inside. And best of all, we all just hung out together on the back deck for hours and hours, catching up on life together and chatting about everything under the sun until late past our bedtimes. Loved every minute of it.
Oh, and I also have to say — the night started on the most adorable note too. When I first walked in the door to Rachel’s house, her sweet little 4-year-old daughter looked up from her toys and exclaimed, “Ali! YOU get to marry BARCLAY!” I laughed and said, “Yes, yes I do! Really soon!” And she broke out into the sweetest smile, and with a twinkler in her eye, leaned in closer and said, “Are you just so excited?”
Heart = melted.
Yep. Sweet little kiddos who ask the best questions. Sunny spring nights firing back up the grill. Easy times with friends who know one another so well. An impromptu pasta salad that had everyone asking for the recipe. So simple. And so good.
Wednesday night for the win!
How To Make A Lemony Artichoke Salad | 1-Minute Video
Lemony Artichoke Pasta Salad
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 -10 servings 1x
Description
This easy Lemony Artichoke Pasta Salad is quick and easy to make ahead, tossed with a zippy lemon basil vinaigrette, and SO delicious!
Ingredients
Pasta Salad Ingredients:
- 1 pound uncooked pasta (I used gemelli)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound asparagus, chopped into bite-sized pieces (tough ends discarded)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- fine sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
- 1 (14 ounce) jar artichoke hearts, drained and halved
- 2/3 cup coarsely-grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
- 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
Lemon Basil Vinaigrette Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup roughly-chopped fresh basil leaves
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Make the vinaigrette. Combine all of the vinaigrette ingredients in a jar, seal, and shake vigorously for 20 seconds or until emulsified.
- Cook the pasta. Cook the pasta in a large stockpot of generously-salted boiling water until al dente. Transfer the pasta to a strainer, then rinse and drain it thoroughly with cold water until chilled.
- Sauté the asparagus and garlic. Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the asparagus and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender. Add the garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant.
- Combine. In a large mixing bowl (or you can reuse the stockpot), combine the chilled pasta, vinaigrette, asparagus mixture, artichoke hearts, Parmesan and pine nuts. Toss until evenly combined.
- Serve. Serve immediately, garnished with extra Parmesan, or refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 3 days. Enjoy!
If I make this the night before I plan to serve, should I wait to toss in the dressing?
You’re welcome to go ahead and toss this one with a dressing beforehand. It should hold up well! :)
This pasta salad looks and sounds so delicious! I love those little pasta curls, and anything with toasted pine nuts. I also wish I had a standing Wednesday night get-together like this – what a brilliant idea. :) It’s so easy to let weeks go by without seeing good friends, but this is a great example of how it doesn’t require tons of effort to make a great casual meet-up.
Thanks, Monica — we hope you enjoy it! :)
Is it meant to be a warm salad or could it be cold?
We love this best at room temp, but you could certainly have it warm or cold (totally up to you)! :)
Made this for Mother’s Day, and we all LOVED it! My husband had 3 helpings and he kept saying how good it was. Next time I think I’ll add in some fresh lemon zest too! Great recipe ?
Yay, so glad that you all enjoyed it! :)
Are the artichokes just canned or marinated? Thank you.
Yes, that’s fine, we’d recommend marinated! We hope you enjoy!
Made it yesterday–fantastic! Love your salad recipes.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Nancy, thanks for sharing!
Hi Ali! This pasta salad sounds AMAZING and so perfect for BBQ season! But, it is near impossible to find asparagus where I’m currently living (hello from the Middle East!) – what else would work instead in this salad?
Thanks!
Thanks, Arden, we hope you enjoy! Instead of asparagus, we’d recommend green beans if you can find those? If not, maybe squash?
wow! this was such a good recipe – I was a little nervous to make it because it isn’t a flavor profile I typically make/love but it was so delicious!
We’re so glad to hear that, Amy — thanks for giving it a try!
pasta and artichoke. I think this combination speaks to my heart <3
Thank you, we hope you can give this one a try sometime soon!
So much springy love going on here! Jarred artichokes are actually my newfound obsession, and basil vinaigrette seems like the perfect pairing! Also, gemelli is one of coolest pasta shapes and I’m surprised it’s not more common…
Thanks for the recipe!
– MAK
You’re welcome, Margaret, we hope you can make it soon!