Cilantro Lime Pasta Salad with Citrus Gremolata

Boil the water first. Pasta goes in when it’s actually boiling—not steaming, boiling. Cook it 12 to 14 minutes until it’s just barely firm to the bite. The moment it hits al dente, drain it. Toss the hot pasta with a little olive oil so it doesn’t stick, then spread it out in a wide bowl and let it actually cool. Takes about 15 minutes.

Why You’ll Love This Pasta Salad with Fresh Citrus Gremolata

Comes together in 27 minutes total. That’s it. The gremolata—lime zest, lemon zest, grapefruit zest, cilantro, all of it—tastes bright in a way that makes people ask what’s in it. They won’t guess. Vegetarian. Works as a main or a side, cold or room temp. Ate half of it straight from the bowl at midnight. The Manchego doesn’t melt into nothing. It stays there, salty and sharp, holding its own against the citrus. Cleanup isn’t bad. One pot for the pasta. One small bowl for the gremolata. Done.

What You Need for Citrus Pasta Salad with Gremolata

Two cups of orechietti or farfalle—the shapes matter because the gremolata gets into all those little pockets and folds. Long pasta doesn’t work here.

Cilantro. Fresh. One and a half tablespoons chopped.

One half clove of garlic, minced small. Not a full clove. Half. Really.

Lime zest. Lemon zest. Grapefruit zest. One teaspoon each. Use a microplane if you have it—the box grater is too chunky.

One large tomato, diced, seeds removed so you don’t get watery salad sitting in a bowl of tomato juice.

Lime juice. Fresh. Fifteen milliliters. Don’t use bottled. It tastes like nothing.

Extra virgin olive oil. Two tablespoons.

Manchego cheese, grated. Three tablespoons. Not Parmesan. The flavor’s completely different.

Chives. Fresh. Two teaspoons chopped.

Salt and pepper. That’s all.

How to Make Pasta Salad with Fresh Tomato and Cilantro Gremolata

Boil salted water—not just water with a pinch of salt, actually salted water, like seasoning something. Pasta needs it. Cook the orechietti or farfalle for 12 to 14 minutes. You want it firm to the bite, not soft. The moment it’s done, drain it. Toss the hot pasta with olive oil right away so it doesn’t clump together. Transfer it to a wide bowl and let it cool for 15 minutes. Don’t cover it. Don’t mess with it. Just let it sit.

How to Get Citrus Pasta Salad Bright and Balanced

While the pasta cools, make the gremolata. Small bowl. Add the cilantro, minced garlic, lime zest, lemon zest, grapefruit zest. Stir it together so everything’s combined. The garlic will distribute through the zests and soften a bit.

When the pasta’s cool—and this matters, cold pasta absorbs flavor better than hot pasta—add the gremolata mix. Add the diced tomato. Add the lime juice. Add the grated Manchego. Add the chives. Season with salt and pepper. Mix gently but thoroughly—you want everything coating the pasta, not breaking it apart. Chill for 10 minutes if you have time. Serve it cold or room temperature. Both work. Cold’s sharper. Room temp lets the Manchego flavor come through more.

Manchego Cheese Pasta Salad Tips and What Actually Matters

The tomato seeds matter. They release water and everything gets soggy. Scoop them out with a small spoon.

Zest fresh. Buy limes, lemons, grapefruit at the store, zest them at home. The jarred zest tastes like plastic.

Don’t let the pasta sit wet. The second it drains, toss it with oil. It dries a tiny bit and stops sticking.

Serve it within a few hours. The citrus keeps it fresh, but after about six hours the grapefruit starts tasting bitter. Not ruined. Just less good.

The half clove thing—yeah. One full clove makes it a garlic salad that happens to have pasta in it. Half clove is right.

Cilantro Lime Pasta Salad with Citrus Gremolata

By Emma

Prep:

12 min

Cook:

15 min

Total:

27 min

Servings:

6 servings

Ingredients

• 500 ml (2 cups) orechietti or farfalle
• Gremolata
• 25 ml (1 1/2 tbsp) chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 garlic clove minced
• 5 ml (1 tsp) lime zest
• 5 ml (1 tsp) lemon zest
• 5 ml (1 tsp) grapefruit zest
• 1 large tomato diced, seeds removed
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) fresh lime juice
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) extra virgin olive oil
• 45 ml (3 tbsp) grated Manchego cheese
• 10 ml (2 tsp) chopped chives
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Step 1: Cook Pasta
2. 1 Boil salted water. Cook pasta 12-14 minutes until al dente. Drain. Toss lightly with olive oil. Transfer to wide bowl. Let cool 15 minutes uncovered.
3. Step 2: Prepare Gremolata Mix
4. 2 In separate small bowl, combine chopped cilantro, minced garlic, lime zest, lemon zest, grapefruit zest. Stir well.
5. Step 3: Combine Ingredients
6. 3 Add gremolata mix to cooled pasta. Add diced tomato, lime juice, grated Manchego, and chopped chives. Season with salt and pepper.
7. 4 Mix thoroughly but gently. Chill 10 minutes if desired. Serve cool or room temp.

Nutritional information

Calories

280

Protein

9g

Carbs

38g

Fat

8g

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Frequently Asked Questions About Vegetarian Pasta Salad with Citrus Gremolata

Can I use a different pasta shape? Depends what you have. Something with texture—ridges, twists, pockets—works better. Penne works. Rigatoni works. Long thin pasta like spaghetti doesn’t hold the gremolata. Avoid it.

Should I make this the day before? Not really. The zest flavor fades after a day. Make it a few hours ahead, max. The acid from the lime and lemon keeps the tomato from browning, but the whole thing tastes best fresh.

What if I don’t have Manchego? Haven’t tried it. Pecorino works probably. Parmesan’s too sharp. Feta’s a different salad entirely. Manchego’s salty and sharp without being aggressive.

Can I swap the citrus around? You could use orange zest instead of grapefruit. Skip the grapefruit, double the lemon. The ratio matters more than the exact citrus. You want brightness without one note taking over.

Is it vegetarian? Yes. The Manchego’s sometimes made with animal rennet, but most of it isn’t—check the label. Everything else is plants.

How long does it last in the fridge? Three days. The pasta gets harder after that. Not bad. Just loses texture.