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This arugula pasta salad recipe is loaded with fresh greens and chopped veggies tossed in a sweet sesame lime dressing. A great make ahead side salad, appetizer, or lunch. Ready in 30 minutes, and loaded with fresh ingredients.

I love making this as a perfect summer lunch for when it is too hot to turn the oven on to cook. This salad is loaded with delicious fresh vegetables, great for a light lunch or dinner that will hit the spot any time of year! And the perfect dish to bring to your next summer BBQ potluck as a salad or side dish… everyone will gobble this salad up.

Whenever I have extra arugula, and want something so unbelievably tasty, I always make this pasta salad. I love twirling and enjoying each bite. It’s loaded with flavor, and the dressing can be made in 5 minutes with some basic pantry staple ingredients.

This is an excellent pasta salad to make for a summer BBQ, backyard get together, or a holiday pot luck. There are so many crunchy veggies which get dressed to perfection in the sweet and salty sesame lime dressing. This is also a great salad to make for a hot summer lunch or dinner. And it will definitely be loved by everyone at your table- this goes quick when served to guests.

This Arugula Pasta Salad Recipe Is

Bright
Refreshing
Crunchy
Tangy
Sweet & Salty
Packed with Flavor
Versatile: can be made with whatever pasta shape you have on hand
Ready in 30 minutes, or can be made ahead!

pasta salad with arugula noodles with carrots and red cabbage in a sesame honey lime dressing vegetarian potluck dishes

What’s In Pasta Salad with Arugula?

See the recipe card below for full ingredient amounts and recipe instructions!

Arugula, Red Cabbage, Carrots
Whole Wheat Spaghetti – I like using a whole wheat spaghetti for this recipe, which gives it a hearty texture, and the long strands are really fun to twirl. If you want to use another pasta shape – go for it! But spaghetti is always my go-to option for this salad.
Lime Juice: fresh squeezed! If you don’t have fresh limes, use bottled lime juice in a pinch.
Tamari, Soy Sauce, or Coconut Aminos
Honey or Maple Syrup
Red Chili Pepper Flakes: for a little heat! if you don’t like spice, you can absolutely skip them in this recipe.

arugula pasta salad recipe the best crowd-pleasing side dish for bbqs vegetarian and vegan options

Affordable & Budget Friendly Recipes for Entertaining

This arugula pasta salad is a budget friendly meal! A pound of pasta is about $1, I stock up on arugula when it’s on sale, and a lot of the dressing ingredients are pantry staples. You can easily make many portions of this salad for a few dollars.

This cold noodle salad is family friendly, and budget friendly. It’ll be a big hit wherever you serve it.

How Do I Make Vegetarian Pasta Salad with Greens?

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Rinse under cool water, drain, and place in a very large bowl.
Add the arugula, red cabbage, and sliced carrots. Set aside.
Add all the dressing ingredients to a mason jar and shake well.
Pour dressing over the pasta and vegetables, and toss well to combine.
Chill for at least 1 hour and serve.

To Make This Ahead

Follow directions as above, but omit the arugula. Store the salad in the refrigerator, and toss in the arugula just before serving.

An Easy Meal Prep Noodle Salad

This salad is great to meal prep or make ahead. The hearty veggies stand up surprisingly well in the refrigerator, and the salad will last a few days chilled.

Just make sure to save the greens for right when you are about to serve, don’t add it to the salad and then refrigerate as they can wilt and brown in the fridge.

pasta salad with leafy greens recipes easy summer pasta salad recipes without meat arugula recipes for dinner arugula appetizers and arugula salads.

Dietary Modifications for this Rice Noodle Pasta Salad:

This recipe is naturally vegetarian, and dairy free. To make this vegan, substitute honey for another natural sweetener like agave nectar or maple syrup.
To make gluten free, make sure you are using certified gluten free noodles. Also make sure you use tamari or coconut aminos (just not soy sauce, as regular soy sauce is not gluten free). Always use certified gluten free ingredients.
If you aren’t vegan or vegetarian, you can add some cooked chicken for protein.
To make nut free, avoid the peanut oil and substitute another neutral oil instead, like olive oil.
This recipe is refined sugar free, just make sure any ingredient you add to the sauce doesn’t contain added sugars.

Pasta Salad Recipes You May Enjoy

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arugula noodle salad recipe with carrots red cabbage and a sweet honey lime sesame dressing

Arugula Pasta Salad

Kelly Jensen

This arugula pasta salad recipe is loaded with fresh greens and chopped veggies tossed in a sweet sesame lime dressing. A great make ahead side salad, appetizer, or lunch. Ready in 30 minutes, and loaded with fresh good-for-you ingredients.

5 from 3 votes

Print Recipe Pin

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Total Time 25

Course Appetizer, Pasta, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings servings

Calories 408 kcal

Equipment

Mixing Bowl
Large Pot

Ingredients

For the Salad

8 ounces noodles
4 cups arugula
1 cup red cabbage shredded
2 carrots shredded

For the Dressing

1/4 cup peanut oil
2 limes juiced
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons Tamari or liquid aminos
2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes to taste