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Pasta Salad with Lemon Caper Sauce

July 5, 2022 By Jessica Leave a Comment

Want to revamp your pasta salad game? This version has lemon caper sauce. It’s tangy, savory and topped with fresh mozzarella and breadcrumbs!

Lemon Caper Sauce

Chicken Piccata is one of my all-time-favorite-dinners to make at home (please don’t judge my baby blogger skills in that post, I am updating photographs soon. The recipe is spot on though!). It’s a great option for light dinner over greens and is super satisfying. In today’s post, I made a hearty vegetarian-spin with pasta. This is a super refreshing side-dish for any cookout. Other sides we enjoy during the summer months include this Mango & Pomegranate Guacamole,  my Anitpasto Salad with Homemade Dressing, and Irish Pub Cheese with Veggies!

WATCH ME MAKE THIS ON THE GRAM!

Lemon Caper Sauce

INGREDIENTS FOR THE LEMON CAPER SAUCE:

The combination of this recipe is so incredibly addicting. I’ve used it on chicken, now on pasta… do you use it for anything else? Rice, perhaps? Risotto? Oh, mind blown. I might do that next! Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Spiral Pasta
  • Butter
  • Olive Oil
  • Shallot
  • Garlic
  • Wine
  • Capers
  • Lemon Juice
  • Mozzarella Pearls
  • Panko Breadcrumbs
  • Parmesan Cheese
  • Red Pepper Flakes
  • Italian Parsley

I personally like to serve this immediately after it’s made, so it’s still semi-warm. While you can serve it cold, the sauce poured over the pasta will semi-harden and have a different texture. Also, I recommend serving the parmesan breadcrumb mixture on the side, so it stay crunchy!

OTHER RECIPES YOU MIGHT ENJOY:

Making Summer Pasta Salad Live on WCCB News Rising (Video)

Roasted Acorn Squash Pasta with Browned Butter and Sausage

How to Upgrade Boxed Mac & Cheese (Video)

Lemon Caper Sauce

Pasta Salad with Lemon Caper Sauce
 
Print
Prep time
10 mins
Cook time
20 mins
Total time
30 mins
 
Want to revamp your pasta salad game? This version has lemon caper sauce. It's tangy, savory and topped with fresh mozzarella and breadcrumbs!
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • 16 oz. Spiral Pasta (Rotini)
  • 4 tbsp. Butter
  • 1 tbsp. Olive Oil
  • 2 Shallots, thinly sliced
  • 4 Garlic Cloves, minced
  • 2 cups Dry White Wine
  • 4 tbsp. Capers
  • Juice of 1 Lemon, or more to taste
  • ¼ cup Heavy Cream
  • 8 oz. Mozzarella Pearls
  • 1 cup Panko Breadcrumbs
  • ½ cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
  • Red Pepper Flakes, to taste
  • Italian Parsley, to taste
Instructions
  1. Cook the pasta according to packaged directions for al dente.
  2. While the pasta is cooking, heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and cook until translucent. Then add garlic and sauté for 1 minute, or until fragrant.
  3. Deglaze pan with white wine and then add the capers and lemon juice. Simmer until the sauce has reduced and thickened. About 15 minutes.
  4. While the sauce cooks, add breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese to a sauté pan with a dab of butter. Constantly stir until breadcrumbs are browning. Remove and set aside.
  5. Add a splash of heavy cream and simmer for another 5 minutes. Pour over the cooked pasta into the lemon-caper sauce and toss until combined. Serve immediately with a sprinkle of breadcrumbs, red pepper flakes and Italian parsley.
3.5.3251
 

NOTES ON THIS RECIPE:

  • I like using a spiral pasta in this recipe, as the grooves soak in the sauce and capers. This honestly will work with any shaped pasta though, so use whatever you have on hand. 
  • I use a Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio for this dish, as the dry white wine flavors compliment the capers so nicely. I do not recommend using a Chardonnay. 
  • What are non-pareil capers and why are they important? Capers are sold by size, so the smaller the caper… the more flavorful and delicate they will be. Non-pareil are the smallest, most flavorful. So if you substitute with another variety they can be though and you’ll need to use more for flavor. 

Lemon Caper Sauce


PIN FOR LATER:


Lemon Caper Sauce

 

 

Filed Under: Appetizers & Sides, Pasta, Vegetarian

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