Raspberry Spinach Feta Pasta Salad (Printer-friendly)
Vibrant summer salad with raspberries, spinach, feta, and tangy vinaigrette.
# What You'll Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 7 oz short pasta (fusilli, penne, or farfalle)
02 - 1 tsp salt for boiling water
→ Vegetables & Fruit
03 - 3.5 oz baby spinach, washed and dried
04 - 4.5 oz fresh raspberries
05 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
06 - 1 small cucumber, diced
→ Cheese & Nuts
07 - 3.5 oz feta cheese, crumbled
08 - 1 oz toasted walnuts or pecans, roughly chopped (optional)
→ Dressing
09 - 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
10 - 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
11 - 1 tbsp raspberry vinegar or red wine vinegar
12 - 1 tsp honey or maple syrup
13 - 1 tsp Dijon mustard
14 - Salt and black pepper, to taste
# How To Make It:
01 - Boil pasta in salted water according to package directions until al dente. Drain thoroughly and rinse under cold running water to stop cooking and cool completely.
02 - In a small mixing bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper until emulsified and smooth.
03 - In a large serving bowl, toss together the cooled pasta, baby spinach, sliced red onion, diced cucumber, and half of the fresh raspberries.
04 - Pour the prepared vinaigrette over the pasta mixture. Gently fold to coat all ingredients evenly without crushing the raspberries.
05 - Scatter crumbled feta cheese, remaining fresh raspberries, and toasted nuts over the top of the salad.
06 - Serve immediately at room temperature, or refrigerate for up to 2 hours before serving for a chilled presentation.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The sweet and savory combo works impossibly well together
- It comes together in under 30 minutes with zero cooking stress
- Everyone will think you spent way more time on it than you actually did
02 -
- Rinse the pasta thoroughly under cold water or it will keep cooking and turn mushy
- Add the dressing just before serving so the spinach stays fresh and crisp
- Gentle tossing keeps those delicate raspberries from breaking apart completely
03 -
- Pat the spinach completely dry so the dressing sticks instead of sliding off
- Toast the nuts in a dry pan for 3 minutes to deepen their flavor dramatically