This is a simple rocket pasta salad that is light and bright, and comes together easily! Made with pesto, cheese, walnuts, and rocket (or arugula), it’s a warm pasta salad that’s perfect for mid-winter or spring, but also has a brightness of flavour using fresh mint and lemon suitable throughout the seasons.
This makes a good side dish, or you can eat this as a main! Make this meatless meal that’s great for weeknight dinner or even the weekend!
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Minty Lemon Pasta Salad with Edamame
Description
Yield: Serves 2 to 4
Special Equipment: 8-inch/20 cm cast-iron skillet (for prep: toasting and searing), 3 Qt/2.8 L or 4 Qt/3.7 L – capacity pot or Dutch oven (for boiling pasta), and 2.5 Qt/2.3 L – capacity or medium mixing bowl (for blending dressing).
Ingredients
Prep:
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1. In a cast-iron skillet over medium heat, add in the walnuts and toast them until it smells nutty and fragrant (about 2 to 3 minutes). Remove from the skillet and transfer to a heat-safe plate. Set aside. You may use a touch of oil, but it is not necessary.
2. Use the same skillet, and over medium-high heat cook 3 or 4 lemon wedges until browned (about 2 to 3 minutes on each side). Switch off the heat and transfer the lemon wedges to a small heat-safe dish. Set aside.
Method:
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- In a 4 Qt./3.7 L-capacity pot filled with water, bring the water to a boil. Add ½ teaspoon of the salt to the boiling water. Cook pasta according to package instructions (usually 7 to 11 minutes), adding the frozen edamame during the last 4 minutes of cooking.
- Switch off the heat. Drain the pasta water, reserving about 2 tablespoons of the pasta water left in the pot.
- Add the pesto to the pot of pasta and edamame, then stir with a spoon until evenly coated. Set the pot aside.
- In a 2.5 Qt/2.3 L-capacity mixing bowl, whisk in the olive oil, red wine vinegar, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt. Add in the rocket (arugula) or spinach leaves and toss them in the dressing. Squeeze the juice of three or four of the grilled lemon wedges over the leaves.
- Now, add the dressed leaves to the pot of pasta.
- Use a large wooden spoon to fold in the leaves with the pasta. Sprinkle in the feta cheese, and toasted walnuts. Transfer to a platter or serving bowl. Garnish the pasta salad with parmesan shavings and mint leaves. Serve with a slice of lemon. Enjoy!
FAQs
If you don't have walnuts or don't like them, you can use pine nuts. Pine nuts are a good alternative and will provide the same nutty crunch walnuts give. Proceed with following the same method of toasting in the Prep step.
Alternatively, you can omit nuts entirely, if you have a nut allergy.
Rocket leaves or arugula give this pasta salad a peppery flavour that pairs well with the cheese and salt, and acidity in the salad. You can use watercress, fresh baby spinach leaves, or microgreens, if you prefer as an alternative.
Although this salad is vegetarian, to elevate this pasta salad, you can add roasted chicken. This will make this dish heartier.
Time saving tip: Use a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken, then slice it to add to the pasta. Alternatively, you could just add pre-cooked grilled chicken slices, and add it before you garnish the pasta salad with walnuts, and mint.
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User Reviews
This pasta salad looks delicious and perfect for any season! The combination of pesto, fresh mint, and lemon makes it so vibrant and flavorful. Can’t wait to try it!
Thanks so much! It’s refreshing and easy to make!
I am a pasta fiend! This is so good. Adding this to my summer recipe list.
That’s brilliant, it’s a refreshing and easy one to make as well!