Arugula Pasta Salad with Goat Cheese
Ready in 20 minutes, this arugula pasta salad with creamy goat cheese is perfect for picnics and potlucks! It's an easy gourmet meal.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on April 24, 2025
This simple pasta salad is a big bowl of my favorite ingredients—peppery arugula, chewy pasta, creamy goat cheese, lemon and tomatoes. It requires minimal preparation, yet the ingredients are so flavorful that it tastes gourmet.
This arugula pasta salad recipe is a wonderful potluck side dish, packs great for picnics, and keeps well in the refrigerator for several days. As long as you appreciate its bold flavors, I’m sure you’ll love it!
The recipe was passed down through friends well over ten years ago, and it became an instant favorite. I enjoyed it so much that I shared it on the blog and then perfected the recipe for my cookbook. You can find the updated recipe below with new photos.
Pasta Tips
To infuse your salad with flavor, be sure to salt the pasta cooking water generously—it should taste salty. Before draining the pasta, reserve some of the pasta cooking water in a liquid measuring cup. The starchy water turns the goat cheese into a creamy sauce.
Serving Suggestions
To round out your picnic, consider serving this salad with my French Carrot Salad, plus Green Goddess Hummus, raw veggies like cucumbers, and sliced cheese or a simplified cheese board.
You can find more picnic-ready recipes here.
More Pasta Salads to Enjoy
I love adding al dente pasta to fresh salads. Here are a few great combinations:
- Caprese Pasta Salad
- Colorful Veggie Sesame Noodles
- Green Goddess Tortellini Salad
- Orange Orzo Salad with Almonds, Feta and Olives
- Pesto Pasta Salad
- Summertime Pasta Salad with Tomatoes, Corn and Jalapeño Pesto
Please let me know how your salad turns out in the comments! I love hearing from you.
Arugula Pasta Salad with Goat Cheese
This simple pasta salad is a big bowl of my favorite things—pasta, arugula, goat cheese, lemon and cherry tomatoes. Combined, they yield the most gourmet of pasta salads. Recipe yields 4 medium salads or 6 side salads.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces whole-grain fusilli or rotini pasta
- 4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled (about ⅔ cup)
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, or more if needed
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, or more if needed
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 5 ounces baby arugula (5 packed cups)
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced into thin rounds
- ⅓ cup pitted and thinly sliced Kalamata olives (optional)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat. Cook the pasta until it is al dente, according to the package directions. Before draining, reserve about 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta and pour it into a large serving bowl.
- Sprinkle the crumbled goat cheese over the pasta, then drizzle in the olive oil and lemon juice. Sprinkle the salt, pepper flakes, and several twists of black pepper on top. Pour about ⅓ cup of the reserved pasta cooking water over the pasta and toss until the pasta is evenly coated.
- Add the arugula, cherry tomatoes, and olives (if using) and toss to combine. If the pasta seems dry, add small splashes of cooking water and toss until it’s nice and creamy. Taste and adjust if necessary—add more olive oil for richness, lemon juice for extra zing, and salt and/or pepper for seasoning. Serve immediately.
- This salad is best consumed soon after making, but it keeps well, chilled, for 2 to 3 days. I like to gently reheat my leftover salad for just a few seconds in the microwave, which loosens up the goat cheese again.
Notes
Make it dairy free/vegan: Substitute ½ cup vegan sour cream for the goat cheese, which is similarly creamy and tangy. You may not need to add any pasta cooking water.
Make it tomato free: Substitute one large roasted red pepper for the cherry tomatoes.
Make it gluten free: Substitute a sturdy gluten-free pasta, such as a corn and quinoa blend.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
This sounds so fresh and tasty! I’m jealous of your trips to the farmer’s market!
Wish I liked goat’s cheese. I might try this with feta though.
I had no idea what arugula was and had to Google it. It’s what we call rocket in Europe (roquette in France). And that I do like!
Oh yes, please try it with feta! I’m sure that would be delicious. I didn’t learn to like chèvre until after I left France, which is unfortunate, because I remember see it on everything in Bordeaux!
We must be on the same wave length! I made pasta salad the same day! This looks great! Gotta make a trip to the farmers market soon because I’ve definitely been craving some fresh arugula!
We call it rocket here in Australia too. It’s one of my favourite foods in the whole world. Yep. Juicy green leaves is what I crave when I’m away from my normal diet. And this recipe is my kind of salad. Love your work lovely lady.
Goat cheese is my new favorite cheese! I can’t get enough of it! This sounds like such a yummy pasta salad. Great job!
Made this for a quick dinner tonight and it was so easy and delicious! I’m thinking the leftovers will be great for a quick cold dinner tomorrow night :)
Hooray, glad to hear it! This salad is one of my go-to quick meals, it’s so perfect for potlucks and picnics, too!
I made this tonight as a side for dinner and it was perfect! Great, fresh flavors and a snap to put together. Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed the pasta salad, Liz! It’s one of my favorite, go-to recipes. I’m craving it just thinking about it!
Goat cheese is one of my absolute favorite foods! Will definitely try this soon!
Made this and your pumpkin bread for a picnic yesterday, both were big hits. Using double the goat cheese next time. :-)
As always, thanks for cooking!
Hey Jes! The more goat cheese, the better, if you ask me. This recipe actually came from Whitney S. (now Whitney H.)! I’m driving down to Tulsa for friendsgiving in November… you better be there! :)
I like this I added kalamata olives and fresh basil as well as all of the above.
Made this for dinner last night along with your gazpacho (from blog). Kids and husband liked this salad and it was easy to make. I omitted olives but might add carrots and cucumber chunks for additional texture and flavor next time.
That sounds delicious, J.
Hi Kate- First time for me mixing warm pasta and arugula. Yes.. I have missed out on something that tastes really good. I made this last weekend. It is so good. Thank you.
This is the very first recipe that I made out of Kate’s cookbook. I absolutely LOVE it!.
Thank you, Chrissie for sharing! I’m glad you like the cookbook. :)
I made this a few days ago and it was so delicious! I added walnuts to it for extra flavor and that was a great decision. It made for good leftovers too.
I’m happy to hear that, Molly! Thanks for sharing!
To this we added a can of rinsed cannellini beans and some sliced kalamata olives, then another pinch of red pepper flakes We heated each serving for one minute in the microwave and topped with anchovies. (I know the anchovies aren’t for everyone.) Heating it is key! Brings out all of the great flavors. A new favorite.
This salad is delicious and goes together in record time. We added toasted pine nuts. Fantastic!
Thank you for sharing, Susan!
Delicious salad! Perfect on a warm summer night
You’re welcome, Beth! Thanks for your review.
The arugula, goat cheese and pasta salad is great! I love it!! Please put the kalamata olives into all your printed editions – they really help make the salad. I had it in late July for the first time, then bought your book, and have subsequently made it 4 times!! Which makes that first 4 times that I’ve used arugula and goat cheese this year, BTW. In this salad, the arugula tastes spicy, not bitter. I make it with Barilla Protein Plus Rotini. It’s SO GOOD! And healthy. It’s definitely going into my go-to recipe list.
Thanks for this great recipe!!
I’m glad you loved it! Thanks for sharing, Nan.
I bought your cookbook and made this recipe tonight. It was so delicious! The goat cheese made a wonderful creamy sauce and the red pepper flakes added a nice kick. Will make again.
I love to hear that, Jodi! Thanks for sharing. I appreciate you taking the time to review.
Made this following the instructions in your recipe book. It was very good! Love goat cheese! I halved the recipe and it was the perfect amount for lunch for two. Added it to my collection of quick salads.
Easy dinners are so appreciated. Great use of my CSA box with cherry tomatoes and arugula. I might have had a really big lemon but my husband thought a little less lemon juice next time. I will definitely make this again (and try another cook’s suggestion of adding walnuts).
Do you think I could add artichokes and maybe chickpeas to this?
Hi! Sure, you could try it. Let me know what you think.
I made this today based on the cookbook recipe (you’re right, your recipe development has vastly improved!). It’s delicious, but my only critique is it’s a bit salty. With the olives and the goat cheese and some added salt, it’s a bit too much. Next time I’d start with 1/8 tsp, then add up to 1/2 tsp as listed and as needed. But overall very easy and delicious! I used spinach instead of arugula based on preference.
Thank you for your review, Claire. I appreciate your feedback.
I have made this (similar) recipe from the Love Real Food cookbook. It is SO GOOD! The cookbook calls for Kalamata olives, which I love! What a delicious, quick, wonderful salad! Thanks!
I’m glad you enjoy it, Jill!
My teenage daughter found this recipe because she wanted meatless lunch options. It was very easy to make and absolutely delicious! Thanks for posting it!
I made this salad from your cookbook. Ohmygosh! It was wonderful. Everyone loved and I will definitely be making it again. Thank you! Louie
Excited you loved it, Louie! Thank you for your review.
How far ahead of time can I make this salad if I don’t want to refrigerate it?
Thanks,
Louie
Omit the cheese perhaps?
After the update the quantities are missing for all the ingredients :) I think there must be some bug? Just wanted to make you aware :)
I made this and it was delicious. I made it exactly as stated. Very easy and quick but tasted gourmet.
This is a winner and will be one I go back to again and again. I made it just as suggested minus the olives. So good and creamy. I had never used goat cheese this way before but I have always been a fan. Your book is awesome and one of my go to’s.
Thanks for another awesome recipe!
This is so delicious. I used chickpea rotini for extra protein and besides the olives, I also added sliced artichoke hearts. I will definitely make this again.
My husband thought this was the best salad he has ever had . . .so I made it 3 times in one month. I did substitute baby spinach arugula mix for arugula. Thank you Kate, I love your recipes.