Pasta Salad with Artichokes and Lemon Vinaigrette

Brighten up your table with this vibrant Pasta Salad with Artichokes and Lemon Vinaigrette, a refreshing and colorful dish that’s perfect for picnics, potlucks, or light weekday meals. Featuring tender pasta swirled with tangy marinated artichoke hearts, juicy cherry tomatoes, crisp cucumber, and briny black olives, this salad bursts with Mediterranean-inspired flavors. The star of the dish is the zesty lemon vinaigrette, made with fresh lemon juice, olive oil, Dijon mustard, and a touch of honey, creating a perfectly balanced dressing that elevates every bite. Topped with fresh parsley and optional Parmesan cheese for added depth, this 30-minute recipe delivers big on taste with minimal effort. Serve it chilled or at room temperature for a crowd-pleasing side or a satisfying vegetarian main that celebrates simple, wholesome ingredients.

Nutriscore Rating: 70/100

Prep Time:20 mins

Cook Time:10 mins

Total Time:30 mins

Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 12 oz Penne or fusilli pasta
• 14 oz Marinated artichoke hearts (drained and quartered)
• 1.5 cups Cherry tomatoes (halved)
• 1 Cucumber (diced)
• 0.5 Red onion (thinly sliced)
• 0.5 cup Black olives (sliced)
• 0.25 cup Fresh parsley (chopped)
• 0.25 cup Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
• 0.25 cup Extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tbsp Fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp Lemon zest
• 1 Garlic clove (minced)
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp Honey
• 0.5 tsp Salt
• 0.25 tsp Black pepper

Directions

Step 1

Cook the pasta according to the package instructions in a large pot of salted boiling water. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Set aside to cool completely.

Step 2

While the pasta cools, prepare the vegetables. Halve the cherry tomatoes, dice the cucumber, thinly slice the red onion, and quarter the drained marinated artichokes.

Step 3

In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper to make the lemon vinaigrette.

Step 4

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked and cooled pasta, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, black olives, marinated artichokes, and parsley.

Step 5

Pour the lemon vinaigrette over the salad and toss to coat all the ingredients evenly.

Step 6

If desired, sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the salad for added flavor.

Step 7

Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt, pepper, or lemon juice as needed.

Step 8

Let the salad sit for at least 15 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Nutrition Facts

Serving size	(1431.5g)

Amount per serving	% Daily Value*
Calories	1867.4

Total Fat 116.1g	0%
Saturated Fat 25.4g	0%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 47.6mg	0%
Sodium 4625.3mg	0%
Total Carbohydrate 175.2g	0%
Dietary Fiber 32.0g	0%
Total Sugars 23.4g
Protein 55.2g	0%

Vitamin D 23.8IU	0%
Calcium 1109.6mg	0%
Iron 12.1mg	0%
Potassium 2256.9mg	0%

*The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Source of Calories

Fat: 53.1%

Protein: 11.2%

Carbs: 35.6%