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Lemon Capellini Salad

Lemon capellini salad with delicate angel hair pasta tossed in a bright lemon-garlic dressing, then chilled until silky and light. The pasta stays intact with gentle tossing, plus fresh herbs, cherry tomatoes, and Parmesan in every bite.
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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
  

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

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Cook and cool the pasta
  1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the capellini according to package directions, usually 3-4 minutes, until tender with a slight bite (look for thin strands that bend easily).
  2. Drain the capellini and rinse under cold water for 30 seconds to stop cooking and cool quickly (visual cue: strands look separated and not steaming).
Make the lemon dressing
  1. Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, minced garlic, salt, and pepper until the dressing looks glossy and evenly combined (visual cue: no garlic clumps remain).
Toss and chill
  1. Gently toss the cooled capellini with the lemon dressing, using light motions to avoid breaking the delicate strands (visual cue: each strand is lightly coated and shiny).
  2. Add parsley, basil, Parmesan, and cherry tomatoes and toss gently just until distributed (visual cue: herbs are bright green and tomatoes are evenly scattered).
  3. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving to let the flavors meld (visual cue: the salad looks set and chilled, not watery).
  4. Serve chilled as a light side dish, keeping pasta strands intact and herbs visible (visual cue: lemon zest flecks on top catch the light).

Notes

Pro tip: rinse the capellini with cold water and toss gently right after dressing so the strands stay silky instead of clumping. Store in the refrigerator in a covered container for up to 3 days; the texture softens slightly but remains good. Freezing is not recommended because delicate pasta loses its texture. For a lower-fat swap, use reduced-fat Parmesan and slightly reduce the olive oil to 2 tbsp.