Summer Pasta & Lentil Salad
Submitted by lisapearn
Hearty summer pasta and lentil salad with green lentils, pasta shells, crunchy veggies, cherry tomatoes, and a garlicky Dijon vinaigrette. Topped with pine nuts for a protein-packed potluck favorite.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
0 minREADY
10 minPasta salad meets power lunch. Green lentils bring a serious protein and fiber boost to this colorful bowl of pasta shells, grated carrots, diced red bell pepper, celery, scallions, and cherry tomatoes.
The dressing is a punchy blend of extra-virgin olive oil, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, and pressed fresh garlic that coats every shell and lentil with tangy, savory flavor.
Toasted pine nuts scattered on top add a buttery crunch that elevates the whole thing.
This is the salad that disappears first at every cookout, and it’s entirely plant-based if you skip the honey mustard.
Kitchen Tips
- Cook the lentils until tender but not mushy so they hold their shape in the salad
- Toss everything while the pasta is still slightly warm so it absorbs more dressing
- Taste and adjust before serving. The recipe encourages you to add more of whatever it needs, so trust your palate
- Pine nuts burn quickly, so toast them in a dry skillet over low heat, shaking often
Ingredients
Directions
In the bottom of a mixing bowl combine the oils, vinegar and Dijon mustard.
Pass the garlic through a press into the dressing and season it well with salt and pepper.
Add all the ingredients but the pine nuts and toss to blend.
Adjust the seasoning; add a bit more of whatever you think the salad needs.
Top each portion of salad with the pine nuts.
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