When I initially made this, I wasn’t planning on posting it as a recipe. I made it during the tail end of Cullen’s nap a few days ago – I’m trying to do a lot more make-ahead stuff so I have things ready to go for him when dinner time rolls around. It’s a cold (or room temperature) pasta salad, so I set it on the counter to marinate and develop flavor while we went about our afternoon.
But I kept walking by and sneaking another bite. And then another, and then another. I could not stop eating it. And as soon as Casey walked in the door, I found myself putting it into pretty bowls and taking pictures of it – if I couldn’t stop eating it, it wasn’t fair not to share it.
It is so simple, and yet so packed with flavor. A perfect quick weeknight dish, or something to take along to a potluck or party. The longer it sits, the better it gets, but I guarantee you it won’t last very long!
Lemon Parsley Pasta Salad
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minute
Ingredients (4-6 servings)
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1 pound spaghetti pasta
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1 cup parsley leaves, minced
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1/2 cup sliced or slivered almonds, chopped
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3 tablespoons olive oil
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2 tablespoons lemon juice
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1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
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1/2 teaspoon sea salt
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a few cracks of black pepper
Instructions
Boil pasta according to package directions. My mother-in-law turned me onto this Jovial pasta – it’s einkorn wheat, which is really different from the wheat we are currently used to eating. Here’s a bit more from their website…
Einkorn is very different from all other varieties of wheat. It was the first species of wheat grown by man more than 12,000 years ago. Now considered a relic crop, it has practically been forgotten because its yield is low in the fields and its type of gluten makes bread-baking a challenge. Ancient grains are inherently more nutritious than modern varieties. Einkorn is the most ancient wheat and is the result of Mother Nature’s untouchable craftsmanship.
It has a great nutritional profile – really high in protein, iron, and B vitamins, all of which are so important for vegetarians. Anyway, that’s my long-winded gush over our new favorite pasta. Back to cooking!
While pasta is cooking, chop the parsley and almonds. The more, the better! In a small, separate dish, whisk dressing ingredients together until well combined.
Once pasta is cooked, drain in a colander and allow it to sit until excess water has mostly run off. Put pasta in a large mixing bowl and top with parsley and almonds.
Pour dressing in top, and mix everything together. Allow mixture to sit for at least 15-20 minutes so that the flavor develops and soaks into the noodles well.
Pasta is best served room temperature, but is also delicious as leftovers. This is meant to be more of a cold noodle dish than warm. Reheating is not necessary!
I know I said it already, but we seriously could not stop eating this. In fact, it served as what was one of our first weeknight dinners ever! Casey walked in the door right as Cullen was getting ready to eat, and rather than wait we dished out two big bowls for ourselves. The three of us pretty much devoured the whole pound of pasta – scary.
The only thing to watch out for? I had a major case of parsley teeth afterward. So embarrassing. Of course it took me twenty minutes and too many long conversations to realize it.
Other than picking up some fresh parsley, you likely have all the other fixings for this in your pantry and fridge. Put it on your menu for this week – promise me.
As always, enjoy!
43 Comments so far
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This would be perfect for a lunch meal- i am always looking for things like this. I do have everything but the parsley!
cant wait to try!
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Yum! I love it when delicious recipes are so simple.
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I am totally putting this on my list. Thank you for this and all of your recipes. They have all been wonderful!
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Oh, yay. Another reason for me to never make anything but pasta for dinner. My husband will be so pleased :)
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Minus the lemon juice (and plus a bit of parm), this is THE EXACT same way my grandma made spaghetti for me when I was little. I still enjoy some every now and then — healthy comfort food! Fun to see it on your blog.
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Making this for tomorrow! :)
Ps: I love the cute wooden dishes
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I just love simple meals like this!!
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An easy and cheap meal, which is always a good combo. Thanks for sharing :)
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Last quarter, I took an anthropology class called “Crops of the Ancient World.” We learned all about Einkorn and it’s origins. It’s so funny to hear someone talking about it in the real world.
That pasta looks amazing. I love simple, light dishes like this for spring and summer!
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I’m adding this to the meal plan next week! I’m a vegetarian and my husband isn’t, so pasta dishes are always a good compromise in our house!
P.S. Great photos!
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Sometimes the simple means are the ones that are the best. Less hassle in cutting and cleaning, and it’s just perfect for a hectic day :D I wonder if I can replace this with cilantro instead?
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As a busy mom, I absolutely love and appreciate your simple, minimal ingredients, easy and low budget recipes. Thanks for your time and work creating and sharing. I hope you know how much you are appreciated!
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Lucky me…I still have parsley growing in the yard from last year….I can make this without going to the store!
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Interesting about the minerals and B vitamins! That’s definitely a good thing. The protein seems to be the same though as regular whole wheat though.
Pasta looks great!
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This is so basic but looks delicious and refreshing, especially if its served cold!
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It’s almost 11 pm where I’m at and this looks *really* good. I need to go to sleep now otherwise I will be tempted to make it. I don’t have parsley on hand, but I really love lemon and dill together, so maybe I’ll try that if I don’t make it to the store in the next few days :)
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I learned something new regarding the einkorn pasta! This looks so easy and tasty, thanks for sharing!
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can’t wait to try this! I’m keeping my eyes out for the Einkorn :)
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This sounds so easy and delicious!
I’ve never seen Einkorn pasta anywhere up here in Vancouver, but the nutritional stats seem fantastic! Can’t wait to get my hands on this, hopefully I’ll find it when we move to the US in two weeks!!!
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I love how simple this is but I already know it’s going to be delicious! :)
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It’s more a side dish, some vegetables would be great in it for a complete meal. And real garlic.
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[...] Lemon Parsley Pasta Salad via Daily Garnish: because this sounds so good as we head into the spring and summer months! [...]
This dish sounds good! Anytime I eat any leafy green veggie or herb it gets stuck in my teeth. It ALWAYS happens!
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Sounds great for when the weather finally picks up! can’t wait to make this for a picnic :)
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This looks delish! And I am going to look for that pasta…I love ancient grains!!
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I’m local in Seattle. Where did you find the Jovial brand? I can’t wait to try making this dish!
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I promise, I will try this dish tonight. :)
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I’ll definitely try this with my rice pasta (GF here) and dill as I’m out of my beloved Italian parsley or cilantro. Easy and delish! Thank you Emily for the simple idea, how we forget, keep it simple!
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Sounds wonderful – I’m totally making it tonight!
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Where did you get the pasta?
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I’m just half way through reading “Wheat Belly”…..have to see if iHerb have those Einkorn noodles!
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Funny thing, I was just eating a store bought salad at lunch and thought, “what is the ingredient that is making this so yummy…” It was the parsley, which made me think I need to start using more fresh herbs in my cooking…and bam! I see this simple (but delicious looking) recipe with parsley on here. :) Thank you for the culinary inspiration, Emily!
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Great! I got a large bunch of parsley in my csa box and was wondering how I was ever going to use it all and this was perfect. I ate it hot for lunch since I didn’t have time and it was simple but the flavors meld together really well, I imagine it will only get better once I actually let it sit for a few minutes!
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It’s so nice to see that you’re traveling with a toddler!! I was just talking with my coworkers yesterday about traveling with kids. They haven’t gone anywhere because they think it’d be too difficult. I’m totally traveling when I have my own.
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Emily Malone Reply:
March 17th, 2013 at 4:52 am
Oh it is definitely possible. We travel with C all the time!
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I made this last night, but used organic farro instead of pasta, and toasted pine nuts instead of almonds. It was so good! The fresh/simple flavors were perfect. Thanks for sharing!
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Emily Malone Reply:
March 17th, 2013 at 4:52 am
Great substitutions!!
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Yummy! I pinned it!
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Delicious recipe! Came together very quickly and was enjoyed by all. :) I was able to find the Einkorn pasta and really liked it! I’ve got a lot of parsley on my hands so I am looking forward to making it again this week!
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Loved this recipe! So light and delicious! Thank you for sharing!
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This pasta is awesome! It just saved me from awful morning sickness! Thanks, emily!
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I made this last night and it’s delicious! Simple and really tasty. Thanks for the great recipe!
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Emily Malone Reply:
April 17th, 2013 at 1:37 pm
Happy to hear it! One of my favorites! :)
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