Healthy Pasta Salad with Lemon Basil Dressing

I adore this vibrant, veggie-packed pasta salad perfect for quick lunches and potlucks! It's loaded with sweet tomatoes, crisp cucumber, arugula, and creamy feta all tossed in a bright lemon basil dressing--no mayo needed. (Bonus that it has tons of texture and holds up beautifully in the fridge!) Make it main-worthy with higher protein pasta, add chickpeas, or serve alongside grilled chicken.

📝 Ingredients

• 12 oz box pasta, like curly macaroni, bow tie, rotini, etc.
• 1 1/2 cups diced persian cucumber
• 1 1/2 cups (10oz) grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 cups arugula
• 1/3 cup basil, thinly sliced
• 1 cup feta cheese, crumbled (I recommend getting a block vs pre-crumbled, so much better!)
• 1 cup fresh basil (.75 oz)
• 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp water
• 2 tsp honey
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt (+ freshly ground black pepper, to taste

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Cook noodles in a large pot of salted water per the package directions. Drain and set aside.
2. 2Meanwhile, make lemon basil dressing by combining all the dressing ingredients in a blender or Nutribullet until smooth.
3. 3Place drained and cooled noodles in a large mixing bowl. Add cucumber, tomatoes, arugula, basil, and feta.
4. 4Drizzle with dressing and toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. I like to serve mine with a sprinkle of red pepper flakes. Serve chilled! This is also delish with chickpeas or chicken for lunch. Store covered in the fridge for up to 3 days!