Name: Vegan Lemon Broccoli Pasta Salad
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 6 Servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 lb rotini pasta; 1.5 pounds broccoli; 4 handful spinach; 3 tablespoons vegan butter; 1 lemon; 3 cloves garlic; 1 cup vegan parmesan; optional for serving:

There’s just something about pasta salad that puts me in the mood for summer. I made a big pot of this pasta salad and ate on it for a good few days. I noticed that after a couple days, the pasta salad got a bit dry so I added in a splash or water and a little olive oil before heating it up.

Pasta

25 m

American

Food with Feeling

May 4, 2026

Foodwithfeeling.com

From the Cook

1/7

Vegan Lemon Broccoli Pasta Salad

Food with Feeling Verified

Foodwithfeeling.com

Ingredients

Warning0 allergens identified

Vegan Lemon Broccoli Pasta Salad

1 lb rotini pasta

1 ½ pounds broccolitrimmed and cut into bite sized pieces

4 handful spinachabout 4 packed cups

3 tablespoons vegan butter

1 lemonzest and juice

3 cloves garlic

1 cup vegan parmesan

optional for serving: olive oil for drizzling, extra parmesan and/or nutritional yeast, salt and pepper to taste, lemon wedges to garnish

Instructions

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Instructions

Boil water, add in pasta, turn down heat just a bit, and cook for 5 minutes.

Add in the broccoli, stir, and cook for an additional 4-5 minutes or until the pasta is at your desired doneness.

Drain all of the water and return the pasta/ broccoli to the pot. Add in the spinach and lemon zest, stir, and cover the pot. Let sit for 5 minutes or until the spinach has begun to wilt.

While you wait, heat the butter in a small skillet. Once just hot, add in the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes. Take off of heat.

Stir into the pasta the garlic butter mixture, lemon juice, and stir to combine.

Finally, stir in the parmesan cheese until fully mixed in.

Serve and garnish with a bit of extra vegan parmesan, a drizzle of olive oil, lemon wedges, and salt and pepper if desired.

Nutrition

My Calorie Intake

0
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Tips & Tricks (5)

Shock Your Pasta ❄️
Drain the pasta and immediately ice bath it for 2-3 minutes to stop cooking and prevent it from becoming mushy when mixed with dressing.
Blanch Broccoli Perfectly 🥦
Blanch broccoli for just 2-3 minutes until bright green, then ice bath it to maintain crisp texture and vibrant color throughout storage.
Emulsify Your Dressing 🫒
Whisk lemon juice with minced garlic and salt first, then slowly drizzle in olive oil while whisking to create a stable, creamy emulsion that coats the pasta evenly.
Reserve Starch Water 💧
Keep 1 cup of pasta cooking water to add back gradually over the next few days—this maintains the salad's moisture and helps the dressing coat the pasta better than plain water.
Dress While Warm 🌡️
Toss the warm pasta and broccoli with dressing immediately so the pasta absorbs flavors better; wait to add spinach and vegan parmesan until serving to prevent wilting and sogginess.