Tired of potato salad? This Herby Sweet Pea Pasta Salad is a delightful alternative.
There are so many reasons to love this salad. First of all – it tastes great. For a pasta salad, it’s light, but hearty, it is crunchy, herby, and lemony. It can be served cold, hot, or at room temperature making it a great salad for barbecues, picnics, and potlucks. It also travels well for road trips and camping trips.
This sweet pea pasta salad has it all – an abundance of fresh herbs, crunchy, shelled sugar snap peas, toasted pinon (pine nuts), preserved lemons and more. You can change it up each time you make it by using a different assortment of herbs or different oils and vinegars. You can even substitute the sugar snaps with another crunchy vegetable such as diced, young broccoli or chopped snow peas, both of which are greatly complemented by the other salad ingredients.
In addition to being quite flavorful, this salad is easy to make and relatively quick to throw together. The only thing you have to cook is the pasta. I hope you enjoy my version of this salad and that you experiment with other flavors. To check out a chicken version and my inspiration for this vegetarian version, click on this link to Herby Pea and Lemon Pasta Salad.
Herby Sweet Pea Pasta Salad
A delightful summer salad with fresh peas and herbs tossed with macaroni, preserved lemon and a variety of a few other tasty ingredients.
*See Kitchen Notes for more information.
- 2 cups uncooked small macaroni, cooked al dente
- 1 - 1 1/2 cup shelled sugar snap peas
- 2 - 3 Tbsp. minced preserved lemon* (start with 2, then add more later if wanting more lemon)
- 1 Tbsp. preserved lemon juice
- 3 Tbsp. quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
- 1 cup fresh herbs*, coarsely chopped
- ½ - 1 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano (to taste)
- 1/2 cup toasted pinon
- 3 scallions, sliced thin (whites & greens)
- 1 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp. salt or to taste
- An herb infused EVOO*
- An infused White Balsamic Vinegar*
Cook the macaroni while you prepare the other ingredients. Once the pasta is cooked, transfer to a large bowl and toss with a drizzle of olive oil.
To the cooked macaroni, add the remaining ingredients (except for the infused oil and vinegar).
Taste for salt and acid. You probably won't need to add any salt because of the salty ingredients, but you might. So salt to your taste.
Drizzle about 1 tablespoon of each infused oil and vinegar on the pasta. Taste. Add more if needed.
Serve immediately, let rest at room temperature for about an hour, or refrigerate and serve the next day. If you serve the next day, remove from the refrigerator about an hour before serving.
As this salad sits, the pasta does absorb the oil and vinegar, which can make it a little dry. Right before serving, drizzle a little more oil and vinegar on the salad and toss.
Fresh Herbs - My preference is about 1/2 cup mint and 2 - 3 more herbs such as lovage, tarragon, basil, chives, oregano or thyme to make up the other half cup. It really comes down to which herbs you prefer and what you have available fresh.
Sweet Peas - I use shelled sugar snaps peas (See picture and note below recipe). However, you could substitute with chopped snow peas, frozen peas or chopped, young broccoli. If you don't want the vegetables real crunchy, then blanch them or saute' them for about 60 seconds.
Preserved Lemon - I love this salad quite lemony, therefore, I use a lot of preserved lemon and lemon juice. If you want more of just a hint of lemons, then reduce by half. If you don't have preserved lemons, then use the juice and zest of 1 large lemon.
Herb Infused EVOO - My favorite is a dill infused EVOO, but any herb infused olive oil works.
Infused White Balsamic - There is no question that the best infused white balsamic is a type of lemon infused; however, a honey ginger also works. It you have neither, than just use a plain white balsamic.
As I mentioned in the recipe, I use fresh sugar snap peas. When I see them at the market, I go through an pick out the biggest and fullest peas. They are usually the ugliest peas in the bins, the ones that most people pass up. When shelled they yield a fat, little sweet pea that goes great in the salads or just eaten as a snack.
Here’s another recipe in which I use shelled sugar peas – Arugula, Pea and Orange Salad.
A pasta salad with a difference – Thanks!
I love pasta salad so much that i always try to find new ways for making. Gonna try this recipe for sure. Thanks for sharing 🙂
I just love the sound of this salad! I adore the taste of preserved lemons in various dishes, but I have never thought of using them in a pasta salad. Thanks for the idea!
Thanks Lisa! Oh, preserved lemon ad pasta is a big favorite of mine, but then preserved lemons are one of my favorite ingredients. 🙂
Dear MJ, I’m adding your salad to my husband’s lunchbox ideas! I prepare mostly rice salads, but every week at least one salad is based on pasta and of course I’ve never had such a herby summery green salad idea! I can imagine so many proteins could be added into it… Wonderful idea!
Thank you Sissi! I hope you do make it and that both you and your husband enjoy it. It does make a lot, so plan for a lot of lunches 🙂
MJ,
I’ve been absent from blogging for about a month — putting my parents’ home on the rental market and it’s taken all my time and attention. I saw this recipe come through and fell in love with it…. I love all of these ingredients! The sugar snap peas with pine nuts and lemons!
Mmmm, perfect for these horribly hot end of summer days! Man, do I ever love your new blog design!!! Way to go!
Hugs,
Roz
Thanks Roz! Hope things went smoothly with your family chores. It’s very time consuming but they are our parents and we always tried to do whatever we can do to help our parents. Hang in there Roz! I’m glad you enjoy the pea and pasta salad. I’ve made it about 3 times this summer and we just don’t get tired of it. And thanks so much for your comments about my new design! I really appreciate it. Hugs right back at you. MJ
I am absolutely in love with this pasta salad. It sounds so refreshing and soooo good ♥️
Thanks Taruna!
Sweet peas are a great salad ingredient. I would tend to view this as a winter salad and use frozen peas, thawed briefly in the hot macaroni. I am puzzled by the ingredient “preserved lemon juice” as the preserved lemons I’ve had were totally without juice when they had cured. Must be a different recipe. (I used the Paula Wolfert recipe).
best… mae at maefood.blogspot.com
Thanks Mae! I make my own preserved lemons and really smash then in the jar so the juice comes out. Then I top the jar off with more lemon juice. The juice is as good as the lemons IMO>
BTW, your site looks fantastic!
THANK YOU!!
I love fresh peas, and rarely see them shelled (maybe in the spring), but I haven’t considered shelling them myself! The addition of lemon and pecorino with peas and pasta sounds like a perfect summer dish for #meatlessMonday! YUM!
Thanks Tamara! I never see shelled fresh peas, but it’s so easy to shelled them at home. Sometimes I luck out and find old sugar snaps in the discount bags – the ones that no one wants because they aren’t pretty. Those are actually the best for the large, really sweet pea. Next pea season, I hope you can find some.
Such a wonderful pasta salad, MJ! Fresh peas are so lovely. Love all the flavors, especially the preserved lemon!
Thank Kelly! Sweet peas are snack and well, preserved lemons – they just belong in everything. 🙂
This sounds so appetizing for a summer salad. I can imagine different tastes you can create with different herbs and veggies. Great recipe MJ!
Thanks Jan! Oh yes, please try different herbs and infused oils and vinegars, just don’t omit the mint. It and the preserved lemons really make this salad.
Absolutely perfect for the road during sunny week end days; also keeping to prepare for office lunch; would only separate dry from wet ingredients to combine just before eating. Thank you so much !
Such great ideas for using this and a great idea for keeping the wet and dry separate because the macaroni does absorb the oil and vinegar rather quickly. Thanks Darlin!
Now I know where to use my spare macaroni and peas. Nice recipe
Thanks Raymund! Hope you’re doing well.
This looks like such a delicious, summery salad. I’ve always wanted an excuse to preserve some lemons; looks like this is it.
Thanks Jeff! And yes, you really need to make some preserved lemons. They are so good and can be used in so many dishes.
I was just thinking how good a pasta salad would be for dinner and here you are! 🙂
Thanks Debra! Ho9pe you get a chance to make. It’s quite good.
Pasta salads without mayo rate high in our summer side dish options. Love the use of preserved lemons and fresh herbs so fresh and delish. Hope your summer is going well. Take care
Thanks Bobbi! I agree about the mayo based salads. That’s why this one is so good for picnics and such – much lighter and nothing to spoil. 🙂 I’m having a great summer. Hope you’re having the same.
It looks filling and very tasty…perfect for any summer meal!
Thanks Angie. Yes, we’ve made this a meal as well as a side. Either way, it’s a treat.
Love pasta salads! Particularly those with olive oil as a base. Peas add great color and the herbs must really brighten the flavor of this. And the preserved lemon! That must make a delightful flavor hit. Really nice dish — thanks.
Thanks John! Like always, the preserved lemons really makes this dish. 🙂