This is a light and refreshing pasta salad recipe, perfect for summer picnics and outings. This bow tie pasta salad is tossed with an amazing, light and zesty dressing.
It’s always a hit at barbeques, picnics and summertime potlucks!
Today I’m excited to share one of our family’s quintessential summer side dishes. This is a classic bow tie pasta salad, just lightened up a little.
I have never really enjoyed the heavy mayonnaise-drenched pasta salads, so I make this bow tie pasta salad with a vinaigrette dressing, which is perfect for summer outings like picnics and parties.
Pretty little bow tie pasta noodles all dressed in a lemon vinaigrette pasta salad dressing, and tossed with feta, basil and cherry tomatoes…does it get any better? It’s the ultimate summer side dish but can also be enjoyed as an entree.
In fact, that’s the best way to have leftovers – for lunch! It gets even better as it soaks into the noodles when refrigerated. It makes the bowtie pasta so tender and flavorful.
This has long been one of my most popular recipes on Facebook and Pinterest, and it’s no wonder why. In fact, it was even seen on MSN!
I’m a big fan of pasta salads, and we have created quite the collection of recipes over the years. Don’t miss my complete pasta salad recipe collection! Be sure to check out my our family favorites, like this Italian pasta salad, spaghetti salad, and vegetarian pasta salad.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
You’ll love this light and refreshing pasta salad dressing. It’s always a crowd pleaser!
This recipe is so easy to make! The homemade dressing uses just four ingredients: lemon juice, olive oil, mustard and minced garlic.
Pasta salad keeps so well – which means you can enjoy it all week long!
This pasta salad recipe also feeds a crowd! It serves 10-12 side portions. It’s great for summer entertaining.
Shopping List
- Farfalle Pasta
- Feta
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Fresh Basil
- Lemon Juice
- Olive Oil
- Whole Grain Mustard
- Minced Garlic
Ingredients, Substitutions and Variations
- Bow Tie Pasta Noodles – You can use the noodle of your choice, but I like using bow tie for the prettiest pasta salad. It holds the cheese and mustard grain and looks beautiful!
- Feta – A slightly salty Greek cheese, this one is often tolerated by those who are dairy free. Choose your favorite kind of crumbled cheese, though!
- Basil – Fresh basil adds so much flavor and color to this pasta salad. Slice thin. You can use a sprig to garnish on top as well.
- Cherry Tomatoes – Use red or a blend of yellow, orange and red to add even more color.
- Lemon Vinaigrette – A blend of lemon juice, olive oil, whole grain mustard, and minced garlic coats the noodles to perfection.
- Salt and Pepper – Season to taste. I like to use thick flakes of black peppercorns from a grinder for the best flavor.
How to Make
- Prepare Pasta – Boil the bowtie pasta until al dente. This prevents them from breaking or becoming mushy.
- Shock Pasta – Drain pasta and rinse with cold water.
- Make Pasta Salad Dressing – Whisk pasta salad dressing ingredients together.
- Toss and Top – Toss drained pasta with dressing, feta, cherry tomatoes and basil.
To see just how simple this pasta salad recipe is, watch the video in this post.
Tips
- Don’t Overcook – Prepare noodles al dente. This will prevent your pasta salad from becoming mushy and toss easier. Overcooking your noodles will result in a mushier pasta salad. Nobody wants that!
- Shock Pasta – After straining noodles, rinse them with cold water to shock them.
- Cool Pasta – Allow your pasta to cool before adding the pasta salad dressing and ingredients.
- Marinate – The best pasta salads are made in advance to allow the dressing to soak into your bow tie pasta and toppings. This makes it so flavorful!
How to Store
- Room Temperature – This pasta salad should not sit out at room temperature for more than two hours.
- Refrigerator – Wrap your serving bowl tightly with plastic wrap, or choose a storage bowl with a tight fitting lid. Most pasta salads can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- Freezer – I do not recommend freezing this bow tie pasta salad.
Bow Tie Pasta Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 16 ounces farfalle pasta
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 5 ounces feta cheese crumbled
- 11 ounces cherry tomatoes (one pint) halved
- 6 leaves basil sliced thin
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot of boiling water, prepare pasta until al dente.
- In a small mixing bowl or jar whisk or shake lemon juice, olive oil, mustard and minced garlic until well combined.
- Drain bow tie pasta and rinse with cold water to shock the noodles.
- In a large serving bowl, toss drained pasta with dressing, feta, cherry tomatoes and basil.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
- Refrigerate until serving (recommend 2+ hours to allow the pasta salad dressing to marinate the bowtie pasta).
Julie’s Tips
Substitutions
- Bow Tie Pasta Noodles – You can use the noodle of your choice, but I like using bow tie for the prettiest pasta salad. It holds the cheese and mustard grain and looks beautiful!
- Feta – Can be substituted with any soft cheese including fresh mozzarella or goat cheese.
- Cherry Tomatoes – Use red or a blend of yellow, orange and red to add even more color.
- Lemon Juice – Can be substituted with white wine or white wine vinegar.
- Olive Oil – Can be substituted witch canola oil in a pinch.
Tips
- Don’t Overcook – Prepare noodles al dente. This will prevent your pasta salad from becoming mushy and toss easier. Overcooking your noodles will result in a mushier pasta salad. Nobody wants that!
- Shock Pasta – After straining noodles, rinse them with cold water to shock them.
- Cool Pasta – Allow your pasta to cool before adding the pasta salad dressing and ingredients.
- Marinate – The best pasta salads are made in advance to allow the dressing to soak into your bow tie pasta and toppings. This makes it so flavorful!
To Store
Refrigerate – Store in an airtight container or covered for up to 4 days refrigerated.Video
Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.
This salad looks great… and the bowtie pasta makes it look even more special. 🙂 Very pretty.
This looks amazing! I will have to try it out! Thanks for sharing!
Making it for a pool party tomorrow. Do I need to let the pasta cool before mixing? Have you made it a day early?
You can make it the day before, but because it’s so quick and everything is best fresh, I encourage you to make it the day of. When you strain the noodles, run cold water over them and you can toss immediately. Enjoy!
Ok, Julie Blanner – I made this for tonight’s dinner and it was WONDERFUL!!! This is my go-to pasta salad recipe from now on!
I’M JUMPING FOR JOY! Thanks for making my night, Emily. I can’t resist this one either. Have a great Memorial Day weekend!
Thanks, Emily! Do you mind clicking on the star rating to help other readers? I’d really appreciate it. Hope you have a great week!
Thanks, Julie – looks great! Hope your dad is doing better!!