Spinach Pasta Salad

5 from 191 votes

This bright and colorful Spinach Pasta Salad is packed with flavor and nutrition- a vegetarian recipe that's perfect for picnics and potlucks

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This Spinach Pasta Salad is a great salad to make during the summer. Loaded with penne pasta, fresh baby spinach, sun dried tomatoes, artichokes and feta cheese, it’s full of color and texture and so refreshing for a potluck or picnic.

Large platter of spinach pasta salad served with sundried tomatoes and feta cheese
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Ingredients & substitutions

  • Pasta: You can use any short pasta you like, including penne, cavatappi, macaroni and fusilli. Make it gluten-free by using chickpea pasta or lentil pasta.
  • Spinach: Use baby spinach which is tender and easy to eat raw. The good thing about spinach is that it’s a leafy green that’s still appetizing when it softens from salad dressings.
  • Sun-dried tomatoes: Sun-dried tomatoes are an easy way of adding a burst of flavor to this dish. We also use the oil from the jar for the dressing so nothing goes to waste.
  • Artichokes: These add a hearty and juicy bite to the salad with a slight tangy edge. They work well in salads because their briny flavor complements the fresh ingredients here.
  • Red onions: Red onions are milder than white or yellow and ar perfect for raw salads. Slice them finely so that they are not too overpowering. You could use sliced green onions or shallots as well.
  • Feta cheese: The saltiness of feta cheese balances wonderfully when crumbled with the sweet dressing and sun-dried tomatoes. Goat cheese would also work really well.
  • Dressing: Made with the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes, red wine vinegar and fresh garlic, it’s a simple vinaigrette that pairs perfectly with the spinach salad.
Ingredients to make the recipe

How to make this spinach pasta salad

  1. Whisk the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes, red wine vinegar, and garlic until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper.
  2. Add the cooked pasta to the bowl on top the dressing.
  3. Add the artichokes, baby spinach, red onion, and feta cheese.
  4. Season again and toss well to combine.
4 image collage to show how to make the pasta salad

Tips to make this recipe

  1. Make this salad vegan by omitting the feta cheese or using a plant-based variety.
  2. Don’t use fresh pasta for this recipe. Fresh pasta doesn’t tend to hold up well when it is tossed in the dressing, so stick to dried.
  3. Be careful not overcook or undercook the pasta. It should be just pasta al dente. If it is too soft it will break apart, and if not cooked enough it will be chewy.
  4. Season the dish well. So that you don’t end up with a bland spinach pasta salad, cook the pasta in salted water so you start to add flavor right from the start.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it keep?

Once cooled to room temperature, store the pasta salad in an air tight container in the fridge. It will keep well for 5 to 6 days.

Do you have to let the pasta cool to make pasta salad?

No, it’s not necessary here. Because the dressing has no mayonnaise, you can add it straight to warm pasta. The spinach leaves will wilt a little, but it will still be delicious!

Can you eat it warm or cold?

This spinach pasta salad can be enjoyed warm or cold. It’s a great make ahead option of potlucks and cookouts.

Spinach Pasta Salad in a white bowl on a table with another bowl next to it and feta cheese

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Spinach Pasta Salad

This bright and colorful Spinach Pasta Salad is packed with flavor and nutrition- a vegetarian recipe that's perfect for picnics and potlucks
5 from 191 votes
Servings 4 servings
Course Entree
Calories 277
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes

Video

Ingredients
  

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water until no longer hot. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, whisk about 4 tablespoons oil from the sun-dried tomatoes, red wine vinegar, and garlic until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
  • Add the pasta to the bowl that contains the dressing and toss together. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes, baby spinach, red onion, and feta.
  • Season to taste with salt and pepper and toss to combine. Top with crushed red pepper and serve. Enjoy hot or cold.

Notes

Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container. They will last about 4-5 days in the fridge.
Substitutes: For best results, follow the recipe as is. Since it’s a salad though, the ingredients and measurements are just guidelines, so feel free to adjust. To make this gluten-free, use any type of gluten-free pasta you’d like and cook it al dente.

Nutrition

Calories: 277kcal, Carbohydrates: 46g, Protein: 11g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 17mg, Sodium: 243mg, Potassium: 346mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 2969IU, Vitamin C: 10mg, Calcium: 140mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.

Cuisine American
Course: Entree

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Recipe Rating




Comments

  1. This is a delicious spinach and pasta! I just made it for the first time and I can’t wait to serve it to family and friends. Thank you! I love trying new recipes and this one has many of my favorite ingredients.

  2. Great salad. The bottles of sundried tomatoes and artichoke hearts I can find are bigger so I add another cup of spinach and a bit more pasta. Still plenty of dressing. But the recipe calls for way too much feta in my opinion. You can easily cut in half. But it’s in my regular rotation.

  3. I have made this now several times and it is always sooooo good! This time I added a little fresh sweet corn and 1TB of a cranberry pear white balsamic (that I had bought for fun to try) with rice vinegar and it was very very tasty!! Thank you for all of your common sense and ready to make recipes!!!

    1. That makes me so happy to hear! I love the sound of that to switch it up. You’re so welcome!

  4. I may be overlooking it but I couldn’t find the exact measurements of the ingredients. I just went for it and it is delicious. Next time I will probably use less of the 16 oz box of noodles. It is still very good and I enjoyed it very much!

  5. Am I missing something? This is in a group of chickpea recipes & I don’t see chickpeas in ingredients or directions? Thankyou

    1. Hi! Oh no, I didn’t realize it was linked in a group of chickpea recipes. I updated this recipe and it used to have chickpeas but no longer does. You can totally add it though! And I will go ahead and delete it from that list. Thank you!

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