Red Lentil Pasta Salad

close up of red lentil pasta salad in a bowl with lemon

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5 from 2 votes

This creamy red lentil pasta salad is a summer favorite with a delicious lemon tahini sauce and fresh veggies.

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Total Time20

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Servings:

Calories: 320kcal

Author: Allie Petersen

Ingredients

8 oz red lentil penne
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 medium zucchini diced
½ small red onion finely diced
1 cup chickpeas

Lemon Tahini Sauce

⅓ cup good quality tahini
¼ cup plain unsweetened vegan yogurt
2 teaspoon dijon mustard
juice of one large lemon about 2 tbsp
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic minced
¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast optional but recommended
¼ cup cold water
3 tablespoon fresh dill

Instructions

Start by cooking your red lentil pasta to package instructions. Meanwhile, sauté your zucchini in a large pan over medium cook for 6-7 minutes until lightly browned (feel free to use a small amount of oil and salt if desired). The zucchini should still have a slightly firm texture and not mushy (it will hold up better in the pasta salad).
In a small blender or food processor, add your lemon tahini sauce ingredients and blend until smooth.
In a large bowl combine cooked pasta with chickpeas, diced red onion, cooked zucchini, and halved cherry tomatoes. Pour lemon tahini sauce on top and gently stir to combine.
Add salt and pepper to desired taste. Refrigerate red lentil penne pasta salad for 1-2 hours until chilled. Enjoy!

Notes

Tips:

- Use a high quality tahini for your dressing. It shouldn't be clumpy or grainy and instead smooth and creamy.

- Cook the pasta al dente. Red lentil pasta can become mushy if overcooked. Follow the package instructions and cook the pasta until it is just tender, while still retaining a slight bite. This helps maintain the texture and prevents it from becoming too soft in the salad.

- Consider texture and crunch. To add texture and crunch to the salad, consider incorporating ingredients like toasted pine nuts, slivered almonds, or sunflower seeds. These elements provide a nice contrast to the softness of the pasta and vegetables.

Storage:

Store leftover pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. If you pasta seems like it's drying out the next day add a little extra tahini and lemon juice.

I don't recommend freezing this red lentil pasta salad.

Nutrition